The 113th anniversary of the birth of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, who pioneered the poems of rebellion espousing the spirit of revolt against orthodoxy and oppression, was observed with various programmes across the country on Friday.
\nNazrul, a poet, lyricist, composer, dramatist, short-story writer, revolutionary thinker, journalist and political activist, was born on May 25, 1899 in a poor Muslim family at Churulia of Burdwan in West Bengal. He died in Dhaka on August 29, 1976.
\nThis year, Bangladesh and India jointly organised programmes to mark Nazrul\u2019s birth anniversary and the 90th anniversary of the publication of his poem Bidrohi (rebel) which earned him the epithet of Rebel Poet.
\nNazrul faced the wrath of the British rulers who jailed him several times. The poet composed about 3,000 songs which created a new genre of Bengali music.
\nNazrul\u2019s songs and poems were a great source of inspiration for the freedom fighters during the country\u2019s war of independence against the Pakistani junta in 1971.
\nThe prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Friday inaugurated a two-day programme at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka which was attended by Indian law and justice minister Salman Khurshid.
\nHasina at the programme said, \u2018Nazrul is a poet of equality and non-communalism. People of all classes and strata, irrespective of their religion, caste, creed and being rich and poor, were equal to him.\u2019
\n\u2018We want to build a Bangladesh where every citizen will enjoy equal and basic rights,\u2019 she added.
\nA cultural show, featuring music rendition, recitation and dance, based on Nazrul poems by leading artistes of both the countries, followed the inauguration.
\nIn the evening, a seminar on \u2018Nazrul\u2019s rebellious self and the poem \u201cBidrohi\u201d\u2019 was held at the National Theatre Hall at the Shilpakala Academy, which was followed by rendition of Nazrul\u2019s songs.
\nPeople started thronging the poet\u2019s grave on the Dhaka University campus in the morning to pay tribute to the national poet. The poet\u2019s family laid a wreath on the grave.
\nThe information minister, Abul Kalam Azad, Dhaka University vice-chancellor professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the Bangla Academy, the Nazrul Institute, the Shilpakala Academy, the Nazrul Academy, Nazrul Abritti Parishad, Nazrul Sangeet Shilpee Parishad, National Museum, Nazrul-Pramila Parishad and several other organisations also placed wreaths on the grave.
\nDhaka University pro-vice-chancellor Harun-ur-Rashid spoke about the life of Nazrul in a programme which the poet\u2019s granddaughter Khilkhil Kazi also attended.
\nChhayanaut, the Bangla Academy, the Nazrul Institute, the Dhaka University, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote and other social and cultural organisations also chalked up various programmes to observe Nazrul`s birth anniversary.
\nBoth state-run and private television channels and radio stations aired special programmes portraying the great poet\u2019s life and work.
\nProgrammes were also organised at Trishal in Mymensingh, the area where the poet had spent a brief period of his life. Programmes also held in Chittagong and at Daulatpur in Comilla where Nazrul spent some time in his life.
\nChannel i organised a daylong programme called Nazrul Mela at its office at Tejgaon on the day.
\nAs part of the Bangladesh-India joint Nazrul\u2019s birth anniversary celebrations, a discussion titled \u2018Nazrul song in correct lyric and tune\u2019 will be held at the National Theatre Hall today. Nazrul singer Leena Taposi Khan will read out the keynote paper.
\nThe day\u2019s programme will also feature Nazrul\u2019s song and the staging of Nazrul\u2019s play \u2018Shilpi\u2019 by Shilpakala Academy artistes.
\nAn exhibition of Nazrul\u2019s books, audio albums, photographs and belongings will be on display at the lobby of the National Theatre Hall during the programme.<\/p>\n

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The 113th anniversary of the birth of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, who pioneered the poems of rebellion espousing the spirit of revolt against orthodoxy and oppression, was observed with various programmes across the country on Friday. Nazrul, a poet, lyricist, composer, dramatist, short-story writer, revolutionary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[4329,6380,8142,8112,4331],"yoast_head":"\n