Today is the 48th death anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. The death anniversary of the poet, widely known as the rebel poet, is observed in Bangladesh on Bhadra 12 according to the Bangladeshi Bangla calendar.
On August 27 (12 Bhadra of the Bangla calendar) in 1976, the poet passed away at the then PG Hospital, now Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital, in Dhaka. He was buried on the premises of the Dhaka University Central Mosque.
Different government and socio-cultural organisations, political parties and professional bodies have chalked out elaborate programmes marking the day.
The day’s programme will begin with placing of floral wreaths at the poet’s grave in the morning.
The cultural affairs ministry in association with Kobi Nazrul Institute and other departments and organisations under the ministry will pay tributes to the poet by placing floral wreaths at the grave at 7:00am, says Mohammad Helal Hossain, a joint secretary of the ministry.
Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television (BTV) and private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes highlighting Nazrul’s life and works.
Meanwhile, although everyone knows Kazi Nazrul Islam as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh, the recognition is only verbal.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs thought about the matter, but has not taken any effective move till now. No visible steps from any other related organisations and institutions have been taken yet even though it has been 52 years since Kazi Nazrul Islam was brought to Bangladesh permanently.
Against this backdrop, different socio-political organisations, Nazrul Sangeet singers, literary personalities and cultural activists called upon the Dr Muhammad Yunus-led present interim government to publish a gazette announcing Kazi Nazrul Islam as ‘National Poet’.
Bangladesh National Awami Party (Bangladesh NAP) in a press statement issued on Monday (August 26) said that Nazrul must be recognised as National Poet officially through issuance of government notification.
Expressing concern that the next generation will forget the poet if he is not recognised officially, the party said that the present interim government should take initiative in this regard.
In the joint statement, chairman of Bangladesh NAP Jebel Rahman Ghaani and secretary general M Golam Mostafa Bhuiyan said, not publishing the gazette announcing Nazrul as ‘National Poet’ is an extreme failure of the previous governments.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was brought to Dhaka on May 24 in 1972. He was given a house in Dhanmondi. It is called ‘Kobi Bhaban’.
In recognition of the poet’s contribution to Bangla literature, Dhaka University awarded him the honorary doctoral degree ‘D’Litt’ at a special convocation on December 9 in 1974. In 1976, the government granted him citizenship and on February 21 awarded him the ‘Ekushey Padak’.
However, no initiative has been taken to recognise Nazrul as the national poet by the state even after so many years of his death. However, he is mentioned as the national poet in various national and state documents and events. He is written as a national poet in two laws related to Jatiya Kobi Kazi Nazrul Islam University set up at Trishal of Mymensigh and Kobi Nazrul Institute in Dhaka.
Nazrul Sangeet singers and others said, anyone can say that official recognition is not necessary, but it is very much necessary.
According to Banglapedia, Kazi Nazrul Islam was accorded a reception at Albert Hall in Kolkata on December 10 in 1929. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray presided over the function, while the felicitation was read by S Wazed Ali. Subhas Chandra spoke at the function. Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque was also present. Kazi Nazrul Islam was declared National Poet at that function. After the announcement of that day, Nazrul became the national poet verbally.
Kazi Nazrul Islam was born at village Churulia of Burdwan in West Bengal of India in 1899. According to the Kobi Nazrul Institute, the poet penned 3,174 songs, 600 poems, three novels and 43 essays in his short artistic career of just over 20 years, before he lost his speech in 1941.
