Bangladesh observed the 67th death anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore through daylong cultural programmes and discussions.
The most celebrated Bangla playwright, novelist and composer, whose works redefined Bangla literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Rabindranath passed away on 22 Shraban in 1348 after long illness at Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata.
Numerous organisations in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country organised cultural programmes to observe the death anniversary of the great poet who gave both Bangladesh and India their national anthem.
Bangla Academy held a discussion on Tagore’s life and works and a cultural programme at its seminar hall.
Syed Abul Moksud presented a paper on Rabindranath’s thought on religion and philosophy. Prof Galib Ahsan Khan and Prof Niranjan Adhikari weighed in with their understanding of the poet.
Academy Director General Dr Syed Mohammad Shahed delivered the welcome speech at the discussion chaired by Prof Aminul Islam.
“Rabindranath’s religious and philosophical spirits were not aimed at his own peace or salvation of his own soul; his philosophy was for the salvation of the mankind,” Abul Moksud said.
Iffat Ara Dewan, Bulbul Islam, Tapan Bhattacharya, Shama Raman and Israt Jahan Pamela later presented Rabindranath’s songs.
The Rabindra Sangeet Shilpi Sangstha organised a two-day programme to mark the poet’s death anniversary at Central Public Library while ‘Swarabritta’ held a session of his songs and poetry recitals.
Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and private television channels broadcast special programmes on this occasion.
Nicknamed ‘Rabi’, the poet, the youngest of fourteen surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, was born on 25 Baishakh 1268 and grew up in an elevated and culturally enlightened environment, to be a landlord or ‘zamindar’ governing sprawling estates in Kushtia, Pabna and Rajshahi in the then East Bengal.
Tagore had early success as a writer in his native Bengal. With his translations of some of his poems, he soon became known in the West. For the world he became the voice of India’s spiritual heritage; and for India, especially for Bengal, he became a great living institution.
The prolific writer enriched every branch of modern Bangla literature by writing thousands of songs, hundreds of exquisite short stories, great novels, plays and musicals.
His famed anthology of poems ‘Geetanjali’ won him the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. He founded the world famous seat of learning ‘Santiniketan’.
(Source: The Daily Star)
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