Literary genius Syed Shamsul Haq has been showered with love and a legion of fans, friends and politicians have paid him last respects.
Published : 28 Sep 2016, 02:59 PM
The body of the eminent litterateur, hugely popular for his essays, novels, poetry, film screenplay, songs and plays over the last six decades, was brought to the Central Shaheed Minar premises in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Tens of thousands gathered with flowers defying rain to catch a glimpse of the poet one last time before burial in his hometown Kurhigram.
President Md Abdul Hamid paid his last tributes around 11:30am. He consoled Anwara Syed Haq, the writer’s wife. She is also a writer.
Doctors at Dhaka's United Hospital pronounced the Bangla literary stalwart dead at 5:26pm on Tuesday.
After being diagnosed with cancer, the prolific author went to London for treatment in April but returned earlier this month to spend what remained of his life in Bangladesh.
Dhaka University teacher Biswajit Ghosh said: “After Rabindranath Tagore there was no one who have covered the entire spectrum of Bengali literature except Syed Shamsul Haq. One needs to read his writings to understand him.”
Public Administration Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Cultural Affairs Secretary Aktari Momtaz, Bangla Academy Chairman Prof Anisuzzaman, Sonargaon Folk Art Museum Chairman Rabindra Gope, Painter Hashem Khan, cultural personality Ramendu Majumder, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote General Secretary Hasan Arif came to pay tribute to Syed Shamsul Haq.
Poet Muhammad Nurul Huda said: “Syed Shamsul Haq is one complete ‘Bangali’ and one complete human being I have seen in my lifetime. He brought alive the Bengali civilisation over a thousand years in his poems.”
The poet was taken to TV station Channel I premises earlier the day. After a Namaz-e-Janaza the mortal remains were taken to the Bangla Academy premises from where it arrived at the Central Shaheed Minar premises for the last grand farewell.
After a Namaz-e-Janaza at Dhaka University Central Mosque following Zuhr prayers on Wednesday, the body was taken to his ancestral home at Kurhigram town’s Thanaparha by air for the burial.
He was buried after another Namaz-e-Janaza in the afternoon.
Haq breathed his last at the age of 81. He is survived by wife Anwara, a son and a daughter.
Born on Dec 27, 1935 at Kurhigram's Thanaparha, he had fiercely opposed the fundamentalist, anti-independence stream in Bangladesh.
He had started his journey with a poem titled ‘Ekoda Ek Rajyae’ (Once Upon a Time in a Kingdom) in 1953, but his book ‘Taas’ (Playing Cards) was published first.
His literary genius is reflected in more than 50 novels. ‘Khelaram Khele Ja,’ ‘Nil Dongshon,’ ‘Mrigoya,’ ‘Shimana Chharhiye,’ ‘Ek Mohilar Chhobi,’ ‘Deyaler Deshe,’ ‘Stobdhotar Onubad,’ ‘Ek Juboker Chhayapoth,’ ‘Mohashunne Poran Master,’ ‘Tumi Shei Torobari,’ ‘Dwitiyo Diner Kahini,’ ‘Ontorgoto,’ ‘Ek Muthho Jonmobhumi,’ ‘Srinkholaga Juboti O Chand,’ ‘Bastobotar Daant O Korat,’ ‘Brishti O Bidroohigon,’ and ‘Ayna Bibir Pala’ are to name a few.
The author sketched a heart-wrenching scenario of the lives of the poverty-stricken people in North Bengal, his birth place.
The prodigy is the lyricist of many film songs of the 60s, 70s and 80s. ‘Haire Manush Rongin Fanush,’ ‘Tora Dekh Dekh Dekhre Chahiya,’ ‘Chander Shathe Ami Debo Na, Tomar Tulona,’ are some of them.
Syed Shamsul Haq was conferred the Bangla Academy Award in 1966 – the youngest to have received it at the age of only 29. He got Ekushey Padak in 1984 and Bangladesh’s highest civilian honour, Independence Award, in 2000 for his myriad contribution to Bangla literature.
Haq has written over 100 books.
Although he touched all the branches of Bangla literature, his identity as a poet was the foremost, says his friends in the cultural arena.
Some of his best-known plays, including ‘Payer Awaj Paoa Jay’ (We Hear the Footsteps) and ‘Nuruldiner Sara Jibon’ (The Entire Life of Nuruldin), are considered milestones in the history of theatre in Bangladesh.
His literary works have also been included in the curriculum of school, college and university levels in Bangla literature.
‘Guerrilla’, a 2011 film based on the events of the 1971 Liberation War, was also adapted from his novel ‘Nishiddho Loban’.
Many still mention his ‘Hritkolomer Taane’ column published in the Dainik Sangbad that they say popularised newspaper column writing.
Syed Haq’s biography ‘Pronit Jibon’ is also acclaimed by critics and connoisseurs alike.