Nation observes Nazrul's 31st death anniversary

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A young girl pays homage to National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam by placing wreath on his grave adjacent to the Dhaka University Central Mosque on the occasion of the poet's 31st death anniversary Monday. — Focus Bangla photo

Bangladeshis and Bangalees over the world observed Monday the 31st death anniversary of national poet of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam, reports bdnews24.com.
Almost a century past, Nazrul, also the rebel poet, had written a Bangla lyric which, roughly translated, reads, "I'll leave this good earth forever, but I'll not let myself be forgotten."
True to his words, he still lives on in the cultural conscience of the Bangalees.
Nazrul was born in 1899 in Burdwan, West Bengal and breathed his last in 1976 in Dhaka.
The firebrand through his writings had sprayed sparks of deep patriotic feelings and protests among people against the injustice and oppression of the British colonial rulers.
"Bidrohee", his celebrated piece of poetic creation published in 1922, had shaken the British imperialism to the core. Bidrohee and several of his writings were proscribed by the British rulers.
It was Nazrul who had seen that the foundation of the Indo-Pak-Bangladesh sub-continental solidarity lay in the peaceful co-existence of its Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian communities.
The poet, in his 22 years of productive life, wrote novels, plays, poems, essays and composed thousands of lyrics enriching Bangalee culture and life.
Nazrul fell critically ill in his forties as his extremely bohemian lifestyle and constant poverty rendered him more and more vulnerable both physically and mentally.
The disabled, speechless poet was brought to Dhaka, the capital of independent Bangladesh, in 1972.
He died as the national poet of Bangladesh, while he was under treatment at the then PG Hospital.
Different government and non-governmental organisations across the country observed Nazrul's death anniversary.