Flowers for Kazi Nazrul Islam’s on his birth anniversary

The 118th birth anniversary of Bangladesh’s National Poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, is being celebrated with appeals for creation of an inclusive and open society representative of the spirit of equality and humanism in his poems.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 May 2017, 08:07 AM
Updated : 25 May 2017, 08:07 AM

The festivities began on Thursday morning with a tribute at the poet’s tomb.

Kazi Nazrul Islam was born in Churulia village in West Bengal on May 24, 1899.

‘Dukhu Miah’, as he came to be known, lost his family during his childhood and had to overcome the hardships of poverty to become a leading light of Bangla literature.

Various political and cultural organisations came to pay their respects to the rebel poet at his tomb by the Dhaka University mosque on Thursday morning.

The poet’s granddaughters Khilkhil Kazi and Mishti Kazi came to pay the family’s respects.

“We need heroes like our fearless and selfless grandfather at this time of violence and destruction across the world,” said Khilkhil Kazi.

“Dadu’s main ideal was to love all people. He has helped the Bangali nation to stand proud. He hoped to illuminate the people through his writing, his poetry and his songs.”

Nazrul’s ideals have not been cultivated and have fallen out of practise in daily life, she said.

“Dadu taught us to stand against injustice. But have we been able to do so? Have we succeeded in standing firm against the many injustices we see before our eyes?”

She also stressed the importance of proper translations of the poet’s essays to spread his message.  She also called for his work to be made a compulsory part of the school and college curriculums.

The Awami League delegation paying their respects was led by General Secretary Obaidul Quader.

“Like Bangabandhu and Rabindranath Tagore, Nazrul is a part of the very being of Bangalis,” said Quader. “He remains an essential part of daily life.”

Nazrul’s everlasting spirit should be respected by following his ideals of communal harmony, he added.

“Kazi Nazrul Islam was a source of inspiration for our Liberation War and has remained one for our political and social movements,” said Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor. “It has become even more important to understand and practise his ideals in this time of rising militancy and extremism.”

The minister also noted how the poet not only wrote about revolt, but also put his words into action.

The education minister would be meeting with the members of the poet's family to discuss the inclusion of more of Nazrul’s works in the curriculum, he added.

The BNP delegation to the event was led by the party’s Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and the adviser to the BNP Chairperson Gazi Mazharul Anwar.

“Nazrul’s words on the fight for human rights are a major source of motivation to us in this current social and political climate,” said Rizvi.

“Even as we are silenced and afraid to speak, he affirms our speaking out.”

The poet has always been an inspiration for the true battle of Dhaka University, said the institution’s Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique.

The Bangla Academy, Shilpakala Academy, the National Musiem, the National Archive and Library, the Nazrul Institute, the Children’s Academy and the Nazrul Academy were among the various political, social and cultural organisations that also came to pay their respects at the poet’s tomb.

The Dhaka University faculty held a discussion on the poet by the tomb. Artists from the university’s Music Department also performed a programme.

Nazrul Jayanti events

Chief Guest President Md Abdul Hamid will inaugurate the main programme for Kazi Nazrul Islam’s 118th birth anniversary at Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium at 3pm on Thursday.

The event will be chaired by Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor and Nazrul Institute Trustee Board Chairman Emeritus Professor Rafiqul Islam will be the Special Guest. The welcome speech will be given by Khilkhil Kazi.

The Nazrul Institute will hold an event at the National Museum at 4pm on Friday to celebrate the National Poet’s birth anniversary.

The Chief Guest will be Emeritus Professor Shirajul Islam Chowdhury. arts.bdnews24.com Editor Kabi Muhammad Nurul Huda will attend as a panellist.

Various other events will be held in honour of the poet’s birth anniversary at Mymensingh’s Trishal, Comilla’s Daulatpur and Chittagong.