Nazrul’s official ‘National Poet’ status remains in limbo

Five decades have elapsed since Kazi Nazrul Islam was requested to come to Bangladesh from India and eventually he complied. Everyone recognises him as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh. However, this recognition is only verbal — no government ever issued any gazette notification on the rebel poet’s ‘National Poet’ status.

Standing on the eve of the 70th year of the 1952 Language Movement, the question remains: what keeps the government from issuing a gazette notification declaring the pride of Bengali literature the ‘National Poet of Bangladesh.’

The issue had been brought to the attention of authorities concerned many times before and their responses were always hazy. It remains unclear why all the successive governments failed to comply.

Seeking further information on the matter, Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, the chairman of the Legal Salvation Centre, sent a letter to the cultural ministry on November 11 last year, under the Right to Information Act.

Yet again, on the 18th of the same month, Shafiqur Rahman received an ambiguous response from the ministry, signed by its Joint Secretary (event) AJM Abdullahel Baki.

No official gazette has been issued declaring Kazi Nazrul Islam as the ‘National Poet’ of Bangladesh, the ministry confirmed in the response to the letter.

However, the matter is under process, the letter demanded.

“The poet is always cited as the ‘National Poet’ in speeches of presidents and prime ministers on Nazrul’s birth anniversaries and other national days,” the letter reasoned.

According to the ministry, “During the rule of the late President Hussein Muhammad Ershad, ‘Kabi Nazrul Institute’ was established in 1984 under an ordinance of the same name that clearly referred to the Nazrul as the ‘National Poet’.

Mohammad Zakir Hossain, executive director of the Institute, gave a similar explanation when asked about the matter.

He confirmed on the telephone, “Kabi Nazrul Institute has been established under an ordinance that mentioned Nazrul as the ‘National Poet’.”

However, a separate gazette notification declaring Nazrul as the ‘National Poet’ would be better, Zakir Hossain admitted.

Reacting to these responses, Mohammad Shafiqur Rahman, the chairman of the Legal Salvation Centre, said there are gazette notifications of 12-14 matters that have been dubbed ‘National’,  including flower, tree and bird.

“If all those gazettes could be issued for each of them, then why the delay on the ‘National Poet’?” Shafiqur Rahman posed the question.

He further said, “The government has a set of rules and regulations on how something gets ‘National’ recognition. But the responses we have received so far are very vague and fail to clarify the matter.”

Nazrul’s life:

Kazi Nazrul Islam, the leading Bengali poet and musician of the twentieth century, was born on May 24, 1899, at Churulia village in Asansol of West Bengal’s Burdwan district in India.

The abundance of creativity in his literary life of only 23 years is incomparable. Although his work touched various branches of literature, Nazrul’s great identity is that he was a poet.

Before even graduating from school, he had joined the British Indian Army in 1917. However, he was imprisoned by the British government in 1922 on treason charges.

Kazi Nazrul Islam was known as the ‘rebel poet’ of undivided India under the British Empire.

Nazrul was famous for his well-built body, unparalleled health and charming laughter. However, he suddenly had a serious nervous breakdown in 1942 and all his creative activities came to an abrupt end.

Kazi Nazrul Islam and his family were brought to Bangladesh on May 24, 1972 — the birthday of the poet. He spent the rest of his life in Bangladesh.

The then prime minister of Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took the special initiative in this regard.

In January 1976, Nazrul was granted the citizenship of Bangladesh under an official order. On February 21 of the same year, the poet was awarded the Ekushey Padak.

Kazi Nazrul Islam died on August 29, 1976, aged 77.

Nazrul’s significance:

Some of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s works bear immense importance for the Bengalis. A good number of his poems and songs are classic.

In honour of him, a metro station has been named after the poet in Kolkata.

In addition, an academic institution devoted to the study of the poet has been established in Churulia, West Bengal. Moreover, ‘Kazi Nazrul University was established in 2012 in Asansol.

Adjacent to Durgapur near Asansol, the international airport has been named ‘Kazi Nazrul Islam International Airport’.

Kazi Nazrul Islam Sarani is the name of the main road connecting Kolkata and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport.

In 1945, Nazrul was awarded the Jagattarini Gold Medal, the highest award in Bengali literature, by Calcutta University.

In 1960, he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.