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No gazette yet on making Nazrul the national poet


Published : 24 May 2021 11:09 PM | Updated : 25 May 2021 02:32 PM

Everyone knows Kazi Nazrul Islam as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh, but this recognition is only verbal as he has not been officially recognised as the national poet till now.

The Cultural Affairs Ministry 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 49 years since Kazi Nazrul Islam was brought to independent Bangladesh permanently.

Kazi Nazrul along with his family was brought to Dhaka on May 24 in 1972, the birthday of the poet, following the initiative of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

Today (May 25) is the 122nd birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam. Different organisations have chalked out various programmes to mark the day which will be observed on a limited scale due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. They will place wreaths at the mausoleum of the poet on Dhaka University campus.

Kazi Nazrul Islam was born on 11 Jaistha of the Bangla calendar year 1306 (May 24 in 1899) at Churulia village in Asansol under Burdwan district of West Bengal in India. After the poet was brought to Bangladesh, he was given a house in Dhanmondi. It is called ‘Kabi Bhaban’.

In recognition of Nazrul’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 of Bangladesh and on February 21 awarded him the ‘Ekushey Padak’. On August 29 in 1976, the ‘National Poet’ died and he was buried with full state honour beside the Dhaka University Central Mosque.

Although Kazi Nazrul Islam received a lot of respect from the state and people of Bangladesh in the last years of his life, he was not officially recognised as the national poet by the state in his lifetime. No initiative has also been taken even after so many years of his death.

However, Nazrul is mentioned as the national poet in various national and state documents and events. He is written as a national poet also in some laws, which are informal recognition from the state, said Nazrul researcher and executive director of Kobi Nazrul Institute Mohammad Zakir Hossain.

Talking to Bangladesh Post on Monday, Zakir Hossain said that Nazrul is written as ‘National Poet’ in two laws related to Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University set up at Trishal of Mymensigh and Kobi Nazrul Institute in Dhaka. So, he is legally our national poet although no law was passed in the Parliament separately or no government gazette notification was issued in this regard till now, he added.

He, however, said that Nazrul should be recognised as National Poet officially as well as through issuance of separate government notification or passage of the law in the Parliament. “We wrote to the Cultural Affairs Ministry. We hope that the ministry will take initiative in this regard,” he said.

Attempts were made to get comments from officials of the ministry, but no one made specific comments on the issue. It is understood that the ministry has not yet taken any step. This correspondent tried to reach Additional Secretary of the ministry, Shabiha Pervin, Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar Debnath, Deputy Secretary ASM Hasan Al Amin. The three officials advised the correspondent to speak to the executive director of Kobi Nazrul Institute.

When it was said that the executive director had written to him on the issue, Hasan Al Amin did not make any reply. At this point, he again advised to talk to Zakir Hossain.

Nazrul Sangeet singers, literary personalities and cultural activists expressed concern that the next generation will forget Kazi Nazrul Islam if he is not recognised as the National Poet officially. The government should take initiative in this regard. However, some others said no official recognition is necessary for Nazrul. He doesn’t need direct recognition because he is more than the national poet.  

Azizul Parvez, a cultural activist and a leader of Bangladesh Pothnatok Parishad, told Bangladesh Post that the poet was mentioned in various government documents as the national poet. “Whether Kazi Nazrul Islam is officially recognised as the national poet or not, I don’t think that it is necessary. His place is very high and he will remain our national poet if the government recognises him officially or not,” he said.

Noted Nazrul Sangeet singer Ferdous Ara said that it is unfortunate that Nazrul has not been recognised as National Poet officially till now. Anyone can say that official recognition is not necessary, but it is very much necessary. It is our failure that we could not make an official declaration till now even after 50 years of independence and 49 years of Nazrul’s coming to Bangladesh, she said.

Many others echoed Ferdous Ara. They said it was the responsibility of the government to issue a notification to Nazrul with the status of national poet. This recognition should be given even after passing the law in the parliament.

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 also spoke at the function.

Late Syed Abul Maksud, a researcher on Nazrul’s biography, in an interview with a national daily in his lifetime had said that the reception was held on December 15 in 1929 where Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque was also present and Kazi Nazrul Islam was declared National Poet at that function. After the announcement of that day, Nazrul became the national poet.