Serajul Islam Choudhury, professor emeritus at Dhaka University, said that literature in today’s world is struggling not because of technological advances but because of the spread of capitalism. He said so while addressing the 4th National Conference of Bangladesh Pragati Lekhak Sangha on Friday noon at the Centre for Advanced Research in Arts and Social Sciences auditorium at Dhaka University.

He said, ‘Currently literature is in a difficult situation which cannot be denied. People don’t want to read books and blame technology for this. But I will say that technology is not responsible for this. Look back, we see that technology has always supported literature.’

He said technology brought paper and printing machine as boon for literature. When radio came, it was thought that people would listen to radio and not read books.

‘But radio was heard using literature. In the same way, television did not kill literature. But, today’s reading disorder is not caused by technology but by the dominance of capitalism over technology.’

He said that today’s conflict is the conflict between literature and capitalism. Nowadays people don’t want to read books, get addicted to entertainment and drugs. ‘The main reason is violence of capitalism and this crisis is an extreme crisis,’ he said.

Mentioning the duty of Bangladesh Pragati Lekhak Sangha, the professor said, Our work will be to create a cultural awakening. We’ve heard about the European Renaissance. I also heard about the Bengali renaissance, but this Bengali renaissance could not bring us an awakening.

Bangladesh Pragati Lekhak Sangha’s Abhinu Kibria Islam conducted the programme while its president Gholam Kibria Pinu presided over. General secretary Dipankar Gautam and conference preparation council convener Shamsuzzaman Hira also addressed the programme.

Besides, Dhaka University’ Bangla department chairman Syed Azizul Haque, cultural personality Mamunur Rashid, among others, spoke in the session.

Earlier, Serajul Islam Choudhury, Dhaka University professor emeritus officially opened the 4th National Conference of Bangladesh Pragati Lekhak Sangha at around 10:30 am at the Swaparjita Swadhinata sculpture on campus.

Later they brought out a procession that marched to Shahbagh Square. Activists from different districts joined the program.

The post Capitalism behind the current plight of literature: Serajul Islam Choudhury appeared first on Dhaka Mirror.