'Joy Bangla' came from Nazrul's poems: PM

'Joy Bangla', the Bengali patriotic expression used since the Liberation War, has its origins in a poem of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s autobiography provides details, she said.

“Bangabandhu brought back the poet to Bangladesh and made him the National Poet."

"Bengali literature would have flourished had the poet (Nazrul) lived amongst us for some more days,” she said on Saturday after inaugurating the Nazrul Institute building in Comilla.

Hasina, a student of Bengali literature, said Nazrul was a poet of love, of equality and humanity. “His poems deal with the farmers, workers, rebellion and women.”

The Prime Minister said Nazrul lives in all sphere of Bengali life -- “indispensably integrated” with the life and culture of the people, she said.

Hasina said the versatile poet had played an important role in the secular awakening.

Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad presided over the programme. Railways Minister Mazibul Hoque, local MP AKM Bahauddin Bahar, Nazrul Institute’s Trustee Board Chairman Professor Emeritus Rafiqul Islam, Cultural Affairs Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas, the poet’s granddaughter Khilkhil Kazi, the institute’s Executive Director Rashid Haider and Deputy Commissioner Md Rezaul Ahsan, among others, graced the occasion.

Lina Tapasi Khan, Khairul Anam Shakil and local artists sang ‘Nazrul Geeti’, songs written by the poet. Seema Islam recited his poems.

Earlier, Hasina inaugurated the Srikail Gas Field and Transmission at Muradnagar in Comilla in the morning.

“Our gas will be used for the country’s development,” she said .

Sheikh Hasina blamed BNP for playing the politics of gas.

”BNP said Awami League would sell all the gas if it was voted to power. But thanks to Allah, we have discovered a huge amount of gas now,” she said.

Hasina inaugurated the Nazrul Institute building and Comilla Shilpakala Academy later.