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PRESIDENT-PM-MESSAGE- SUFIA
President, PM pay tributes to Poet Sufia Kamal on her 110th birth anniversary
DHAKA, June 19, 2021, (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid their rich tributes to the memory of Poet Begum Sufia Kamal on the occasion of her 110th birth anniversary to be observed tomorrow.
On the eve of the day, they issued separate messages paying profound respect to the memories of the poet, who was one of the pioneers of all progressive, democratic and women emancipation movements in Bangladesh.
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 remarkable works.
“Her life and literary works will inspire the new generation to a great extent and she will remain as a source of inspiration for the young generation forever,” said the head of the state.
Sufia Kamal had struggled for establishing a society with equal rights of men and women, he said, adding that she had contribution to the country’s democratic, social and cultural movements.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, conveyed her profound respect to the memory of late poet Begum Sufia Kamal.
The premier added that Sufia Kamal had played an uncompromising role in every movement, including language movement, mass-upsurge of 1969, non-cooperation movement and the Great Liberation War of 1971.
Sheikh Hasina recalled Sufia Kamal’s role in the movement against ban on Tagore’s songs by the Pakistani government in 1961.
Sufia Kamal cherished thoughts and ideologies of Begum Rokeya, who played significant role in awakening Muslim women, Hasina said.
In response to Sufia Kamal’s demand, the first female-dormitory of Dhaka University was named ‘Rokeya Hall’, Sheikh Hasina said adding that besides, she was the founder of the children’s organization ‘Kachi Kachar Mela’.
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 her literary works, life and activities of Poet Sufia Kamal.
Born on June 20, 1911 in an aristocratic and decent 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 in 1952 and also played a significant role in the Great War of Liberation.
She was also an excellent organizer. In 1956, she organized “Kochi-Kachar Mela”, an platform for the children, and organized 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/PR/SRH/SKB/ 1840 hrs