A three-day Lalon memorial festival will begin at Lalon's Shrine in Chheuria under Kumarkhali Upazila of the district today (Saturday).
Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League Mahbubul Alam Hanif will inaugurate the festival as the chief guest, presided over by Deputy Commissioner of Kushtia Mohammad Sidul Islam.
Barrister Selim Altaf George, MP, president of Kushtia district unit Awami League Sadar Uddin Khan, Secretary, Asgar Ali and Police Super Khairul Islam will be present at the function as special guests.
Dr Shahinoor Rahman of Islamic University (IU) will attend the programme as a discussant.
Organizers of Lalon Academy have already completed all preparations for holding the festival. Hundreds of Lalon admirers from home and abroad have already gathered at the Lalon Akhra to take part in the festival.
The festival will feature open discussions, Baul songs by artistes of Lalon Academy in Kushtia and prominent singers, fair and cultural performances.
Security has been tightened to ensure the safety of the devotees as a huge number of crowds are expected to participate in the festival.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs K M Khalid will speak as the chief guest at a discussion, over Lalon Shah's life and work, on the second day of the festival. Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman Ataur Rahman Ata will be present at the discussion.
Khulna Divisional Commissioner Md Zillur Rahman Chowdhury will take part in the closing day discussion to be held on March 6 as the chief guest. Deputy Inspector General of Police, Khulna range, Moinul Haque and Deputy Director of Local Government Division Md Arifuzzaman will be present as special guests.
Lalon (14 October 1772 – 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer. Regarded as an icon of Bengali culture, he inspired and influenced many philosophers, poets and social thinkers including Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam[6] and Allen Ginsberg. Lalon's philosophy of humanity rejects all distinctions of caste, class, and creed and takes stand against theological conflicts and racism. It denies all worldly affairs in search of the soul and embodied the socially transformative role of sub-continental Bhakti and Sufism.
Lalon founded the institute known as Lalon Akhra in Cheuriya, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Kushtia railway station. His disciples dwell mostly in Bangladesh and West Bengal. Every year on the occasion of his death anniversary, thousands of his disciples and followers assemble at Lalon Akhra and pay homage to him through celebration and discussion of his songs and philosophy for three days.
