112th Birth Anniversary of Nazrul
Build prosperous country to respect Nazrul
President urges people
President Zillur Rahman speaks at a function at Darirampur High School in Trishal organised by the Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs marking the 112th birth anniversary of poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. Photo: PId
President Zillur Rahman yesterday urged the people of all strata for extending sincere support in building a civilised society and a prosperous country to show respect in real sense to the memory of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. “We can show respect to Nazrul in real sense through building a civilised society and a prosperous country. I urge the people from all walks of life for their sincere support to achieve the goal,” he said. The president was speaking at a function at Darirampur High School here, organised by the Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs marking the 112th birth anniversary of the national poet. Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad presided over the function, also addressed by LGRD Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, local MP Reza Ali and Cultural Affairs Secretary Suraiya Begum. Poet Nurul Huda gave the 'Nazrul Memorial Lecture' at the function, where State Minister for Cultural Affairs Promod Mankin, and granddaughters of poet Nazrul -- Khil Khil Kazi and Misti Kazi -- were present. Terming Nazrul the symbol of non-communal spirit and a man of versatile talents, the president said he was not only editor of the Jugbani, Dhumketu, Langol and Gonobani newspapers but was also a noted dramatist, experienced actor and filmmaker as well as a social reformer. “Nazrul was the first and last Bangalee in their thousand years of history who could holistically portray the Bangalee's spirit through his exceptional creative talents and for that he is called the poet of Bengal, the National Poet of Bangladesh,” he said. Saying that poet Nazrul had highlighted the discriminations to women that prevailed in the society about a century before, Zillur questioned whether the women are having equal rights or status in an independent state in this era of immense development of science and knowledge. He said serious hurdles are still to be faced in the country if the efforts are taken to uphold the rights of women. “But we're firmly committed to establishing the women's rights and status in Bangladesh whatever the obstacles.” Mentioning that poet Nazrul had held a position above everything communal, he said on one hand he wrote 'Hamd' and 'Naat' explaining Towhid (belief in monotheism) and singing the praise of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), and on the other he also had written 'Shyama Sangeet', 'Kirton' and 'Bhazan' for the Hindu community. Zillur said Nazrul's literature, especially his poems and songs, had been a great source of inspiration for the people during the country's War of Liberation in 1971.
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