DHAKA, May 24, 2021 (BSS)-The 122nd birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be observed tomorrow in a befitting manner.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, paid rich tributes to the memory of the poet on the occasion of his 122nd birth anniversary.
The cultural affairs ministry, Dhaka University and cultural organization ‘Mukto Asar’ have taken separate programmes to celebrate the birth anniversary of the national poet on a limited scale due to Covid-19 pandemic.
State minister for cultural affairs KM Khalid will place a floral wreath at the mazar of Kazi Nazrul Islam on Dhaka University campus at 7.30am tomorrow.
Dhaka University VC Prof Dr MD Akhtaruzzaman will place wreaths at the mazar of the poet tomorrow morning.
In separate messages, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of the national poet.
In his message, President Abdul Hamid said Nazrul Islam is a time-winning poet in Bangla language and literature.
Poet Kazi Nazrul was vocal against injustice and wherever injustice took place, his pen became a sword against it as a protest, he added.
Abdul Hamid said Nazrul was the first to demand complete independence of India in 1922 in the Dhumketu Patrika.
“From his writings, we got inspiration for every democratic movement, including anti-British movement, language movement, mass uprising of 1969 and the great War of Liberation in 1971 of Banglaees,” said the President.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Nazrul’s lifelong pursuit was economic and political emancipation of the oppressed people of the society and the recognition of the social status of the people.
In his literary works, the message of struggle against subjugation, communalism and imperialism has been uttered, she said, adding that the ideologies of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the national poet are the continuation of the same philosophy.
His songs and poems had encouraged anti-British movement in the subcontinent and later those had inspired people of Bangladesh during the War of Liberation, she added.
Nazrul was brought to Bangladesh in 1972 at the initiative of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, she said, adding that he was later given the citizenship of Bangladesh and the status of National Poet of Bangladesh.
The president and the premier wished the overall success of all the programmes taken on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the national poet.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on the 11th Joishtha in Bengali calendar year 1306 in Churulia, near Asansol in the Burdwan district of the West Bengal, India.
He was famous for his fiery poem Bidrohi (The Rebel) and his many melodious songs. He was a poet, lyricist, musician, revolutionary and philosopher.
There are 2,400 of his songs, and together, they are known as Nazrul-Geeti or Nazrul Sangit. He composed the songs, which he liked to tune himself.
Considering his impressive talent, Rabindranath Tagore dubbed him as Saraswati’s bor-putra (the gifted son of the Goddess of learning).
Nazrul was the poet of rebellion against injustice and taboos. His nickname was Dhukhu Miah (Mr. Sorrow). True to his name, Nazrul suffered a lot in his life.
His father died in 1910 while he was still at school and he became the breadwinner of the family working for a bakery company, Wahid’s, the most well known in north Bengal at that time.
Later, he resumed studies at Darirampur, Trishal, Mymensingh. But he left his studies to join the British Indian Army as a non-commissioned officer and was posted to Karachi.
He left the army and settled in Kolkata, where he started publishing a fortnightly, Dhumketu (The Comet).
The magazine had a fiery tone and was critical of the British rule in India. He soon found himself in prison for publishing a poem written by him, “Anandomoir Agomon” (Advent of Goddess Durga-the Goddess of destruction of all evil).
In prison, he did not stop writing. He wrote, “Rajbandir Jabanbandi” (Deposition of a political prisoner). After a prolonged hunger strike, Nazrul was released from the prison. But throughout the ’20s he found most of his work banned.
After the death of his second son, Kazi Bulbul, the poet was sad. He wrote, “My nightingale sleeps forever.”
Although known for his rabid criticism of imperialism, social and religious taboos, Nazrul also explored the themes of love, romance and devotion.
He also introduced a robust style that was very bold and innovative. His use of Persian and Arabic words in Bengali poetry also opened up new literary horizons. In the ’30s the leading gramophone company of India, HMV, as a lyricist, employed him full-time.
Later All-India Broadcasting Authority employed him. But his luck once again ran out and in 1942, he developed a rare neurological disorder that led to the loss of his voice and memory. Doctors in Vienna diagnosed it as Pick’s disease.
After independence, Nazrul was declared the national poet and he was brought to Dhaka from Kolkata. He died here in 1976 and was buried beside the central mosque of Dhaka University.
In his short articulate years, he also wrote and directed a play, Byathar Dan (The gift of pain).