There are some people who just don’t believe in borders, who consider these inconvenient lines drawn to divide a common humanity. One such person is Zainul Abedin. He could easily be lost in a crowd anywhere in three countries. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the three states to which he belongs and has spent his days. In reality, however, the three flags he salutes are those of journalism, literature and films.

A regular visitor to Karachi, Zeno Bhai as he is affectionately known to all and sundry, talks of bygone times in writer and journalist Zahida Hina’s office. He was born in Allahabad, India where his father was a senior draughtsman in the East India Railway and was posted in several places.

His childhood was spent in Bihar where he received his early schooling. He was in the seventh grade when his family migrated to Saidpur in the erstwhile East Pakistan after 1947. After his matriculation from the town, he did his intermediate commerce from Dhaka College and BCom from the Jagan Nath College, but his parents had passed away by that time and the family’s financial position became precarious. He gave tuitions to support himself and, as there were not many options, did his masters in Urdu from Dhaka University.

By that time he also tried his hand at journalism. He began with Morning News, one of the two Dhaka-based newspapers. He worked first as a proofreader and then as a culture reporter. Later on he started writing for the Jang and later joined it as a full-time employee. “This was in 1968 or 1969,” he says, “and I have been writing for the newspaper since then.”

Literature made a claim for his attention right from his schooldays in Saidpur. He recalls his friend Amanullah Khan who would get books for him. Mohiuddin Nawab was another friend and he says that it was the company of such friends which encouraged his initial efforts at writing. In Saidpur they met Adeeb Sohail and other writers as well as many leftist political activists.

“I began writing when I saw the hard lives of the workers. This also gave me a leaning towards Marxist ideas. The Progressive Movement was in full swing in the ’60s. I would read the works of these writers. I was fond of reading but had never given a serious thought to writing myself. I took part in the 1952 language movement. Of course I supported the Bangla language demands!” he says proudly. “I do not believe in any restrictions on languages and I didn’t see any contradiction in my position at that time!”

How he started writing is another story. “My local mentor at the Dhaka University was Salahuddin Muhammad. He was a well-known union leader also besides being a writer and poet. I remember the occasion when some writers were visiting Dhaka and they came to the Press Club which had an active literary organisation. Muhammad Sahib was sitting there with his friends. When the writers arrived, he introduced his friends but he did not introduce me. I felt hurt but didn’t say anything. I came home and started thinking, why can’t I write? So I sat down and wrote my first story. It was called Ghuroor and it was published in Nusrat from Lahore. This made me feel happy. Then I wrote many short stories for different publications”, he adds.

“I feel that writing on a smaller canvas gives you concentration,” he says, summing up his craft. “I kept on writing but I did not believe in self-promotion. It is my job to write. I have writen about a 100-125 short stories in all. My thoughts and the experiences of my life should reach out to people; this is what I believe in. The ideals of my life should be expressed. I never felt any need to collect and publish my stories as a book. I did not think myself to be enough of a writer. There are so many people writing but how many will have their names remembered by others?” he asks.

From fiction and journalism the conversation moved on films. He became the editor in-charge of Chitrali, the film weekly and soon became associated with the Dhaka film industry. He wrote the screenplay for Chakori, the first Urdu chartbuster from East Pakistan, which also gave Nadeem his first break as an actor.

He wrote the dialogues for a number of movies including Chotay Sahib, Payal and Anari. When the first colour film Sangam was produced from East Pakistan, he wrote not only the dialogues but also many of its lyrics including Hazar Saal Ka Jo Buddha Mar Gaya. He wrote a number of Bangla films as well and later on produced a Bangla movie called Janta Express.

Zain Sahib remained closely associated with Dhaka’s film industry and his memories today are a stockroom of information about the movies and the people who made them. However, the scene was changing rapidly around him. He was able to see many things at close quarters.

“I recall the elections of 1970. The elections were very fair. But Yahya Khan did not allow the electoral results to be implemented. The 1971 movement had started mainly by the leftists but later on the nationalists took over. I remember that when Maulana Bhashani came back from West Pakistan, he told us to go back as there would be trouble. He showed us a CIA report indicating that soon there will be a movement to create a buffer state,” he says.

Zainul Abedin did not pay heed but stayed on and kept working as a reporter. He knew Sheikh Mujib and as the prime minister of the newly independent nation, Mujib asked him if he wanted anything. “I told him that I wanted a passport to travel abroad. So I got my passport.”

He was witness to the tumultuous events of 1971. “I saw the scale of destruction and also observed the Pakistan army turning into an occupying military and I witnessed the terror which was unleashed. I knew about the excesses which were committed against the people. I stayed on and did not have any particular place to go. I used to hang around the Press Club like a homeless vagabond and perhaps this is why I survived. I had migrated to East Pakistan and came to regard it as my homeland. My parents were buried there and this is what held me back,” he says in his usual simple manner.

After Morning News closed down, Sirajul Hussain Khan started the Eastern News Agency and took him on as a shift in-charge. Later on Sheikh Mujib’s nephew helped him obtain the next job in Bangladesh Times. “My family shifted to Karachi and they pressurised me to come too but when I see the situation here, I wonder if I should do that. Dr Hanif Fauq told me that I did the right thing by staying on,” he says.

Recently he has translated Akhtaruzzaman Elias’ monumental novel Khwab Namah from Bangla into Urdu and is keen to see it published soon. A translation of Shaukat Usman’s novel is nearing completion too. “I belong to three countries but deep inside, I remain the same. I will continue to write,” he says with determination.