Nazrul’s 126th birth anniv today

The 126th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam will be celebrated across the country today with solemn respect and renewed admiration for the poet whose fearless voice stood against injustice, exploitation, and communalism.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, in a message on the eve of the day, paid tribute to the poet's memory and prayed for the eternal peace of his soul.

"On the occasion of the 126th birth anniversary of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, I pay my deepest respects to his memory," Prof Yunus said, as reported by BSS.

"Kazi Nazrul Islam is a shining star of Bangla literature," he added, saying that the poet was born when the subcontinent was still bound by the chains of subjugation.

The poet's rebellious nature roared against injustice. He wanted to break the chains of the tyrant with his sharp pen, said Prof Yunus.

Recalling the poet's imprisonment for sedition during British rule, the chief adviser said Nazrul chose poetry as the language of protest, which earned him the title of the rebel poet, reports BSS.

In January this year, the interim government officially declared Nazrul the national poet through a gazette notification.

The central theme of Nazrul's work was the triumph of humanity and a powerful protest against oppression, communal hatred, and inequality, Prof Yunus said.

 "His creations gave people courage in every movement, from the anti-British struggle to the Liberation War," he said, adding that Nazrul stood against religious bigotry and championed gender equality.

Prof Yunus expressed hope that the poet's life and ideals would continue to guide the people in building a non-communal and just society. He also wished success for all commemorative events across the country.

Born in 1899 in Churulia, West Bengal, Nazrul later joined the British Indian Army and went on to become a journalist, composer, and filmmaker. His newspaper Dhumketu was banned by the British, and he was jailed for his poem Anandamoyeer Agomoney.

UNB reports that the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, along with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and local administrations, will host a three-day celebration in Cumilla starting May 25. The inaugural event will include the Nazrul Award 2023 and 2024, with Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki as the chief guest.

The national poet Nazrul passed away on August 29, 1976, and was laid to rest next to Dhaka University's central mosque, as per his wishes.