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BSS-34
SUFIA-KAMAL-ANNIVERSARY
Begum Sufia Kamal’s 21st death anniversary tomorrow
DHAKA, Nov 19, 2020 (BSS) – The 21st death anniversary of poet Begum Sufia Kamal will be observed tomorrow.
On the occasion, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages paying profound respect to the memory of the poet.
They prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of Sufia Kamal.
In a message, the President said Poet Sufia Kamal will be alive among the countrymen through her literary talent and amazing works.
“Her life and literary works will inspire the new generation deeply and she will remain as a source of inspiration for the young generation forever,” said the President.
Sufia Kamal Hamid had struggled for establishing a society with equal rights of men and women.. he said, adding that she was called ‘Janoni Sahosika’ for her contribution to the country’s democratic, social and cultural movements.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message conveyed her profound respect to the memories of Begum Sufia Kamal, one of the pioneers of progressive, democratic and women emancipation movements in Bangladesh.
She said Sufia Kamal was the image of a traditional Bengali woman and an affectionate mother. On the other hand, she had played an uncompromising role in every movement, including language movement, mass-upsurge of 1969, non-cooperation movement of 1971 and Liberation War, the premier added.
Sheikh Hasina recalled Sufia Kamal’s role in the movement against banning Tagore songs by the Pakistan government in 1961.
The Prime Minister said Sufia Kamal’s role had inspired the pro-liberation forces when the distortion of history began in the country after the assassination of the Greatest Bangalee of all times Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
She hoped that the new generations will be imbued with patriotism through reading the literary works and life of Poet Sufia Kamal.
Born on June 20, 1911 in an aristocratic family, known as the Nabab family of Shayestabad in Barishal, Begum Sufia Kamal dedicated her whole life to the promotion of women liberty, progressive thinking and non-communal politics.
She was an activist of the historic Language Movement of 1952 and also played a significant role in the Great War of Liberation. She was also an excellent organiser. In 1956, she organised “Kochi-Kachar Mela”, an organisation of children, and organised the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad in 1970.
Begum Sufia Kamal died in Dhaka on November 20 in 1999 and was buried at Azimpur Graveyard with full state honour.
She won more than 50 awards for her contributions to the literature including “Ekushey Padak”, “Swadhinata Dibash Padak”, “Bangla Academy Padak”, “Soviet Lenin Award”, “Begum Rokeya Padak”, “Jatiya Kobita Porishad Award”.
BSS/KC/TRA/TAN/FI/ 1735 hrs