Marking the 125th birth anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh's national poet, renowned as the "rebel poet", Chhayanaut, a leading cultural institution, arranged a three-day ‘Nazrul Uthsob 1431’ at Chhayanaut Sangskriti Bhaban.
Starting from May 25, featuring performances of songs, dances, readings, and poetry recitations, the festival concluded with the unveiling of "Nazrul Sangeet: Tothyo, Bhab O Shurashandhan," a publication on 50 Nazrul songs.
Nazrul, who wrote 2,600 songs, 600 poems, three novels, and 43 articles, began his career while serving in the British Army in 1917. His famous poem ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel) was published in 1921. He later launched the magazine ‘Dhumketu’ (The Comet) in 1922. His active participation in the Indian Independence Movement led to multiple imprisonments by British authorities.
Nazrul's works, rich in themes of freedom, humanity, love, and revolution, opposed religious, caste, and gender discrimination. His contributions to Bengali music include creating the genre ‘Nazrul Geeti,’ encompassing 4,000 songs.
In 1942, Nazrul began losing his voice and memory due to Pick's disease, a rare neurodegenerative ailment. In 1972, his family moved to Bangladesh at the government's invitation. Dhaka University awarded him an honorary post-doctoral degree in 1974, and he received the Ekushey Padak in 1976.
Kazi Nazrul Islam passed away in Dhaka on August 29, 1976, but his legacy endures, celebrated today and always.
