.NATIONAL poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's 37th death anniversary passed off yesterday without high profile programmes at the national level, except a remembrance of the poet in TV programmes and by some organisations in a modest way. No newspaper supplements at government initiatives were seen to commemorate the death. It surprises the nation to see that Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, which has the mandate as the premier cultural organisation to observe the event, has failed to field a single programme on this occasion citing the recent Eid holidays as the main cause of the failing. We have been profoundly shocked as a national daily broke the news yesterday and strongly deplore the absence of the Academy's responsibility and its manifest disrespect to the poet. It does not make sense to allocate budgetary funds to organisations which are not committed to their duties and obligations, and if the failing is a mindless act of neglect to no less a person than our national poet. Allegations galore about corruption, misappropriation and miuse of public funds at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy under the cover of different projects. It is now mostly dominated by ruling party cadres.
Reports said, they are so powerful that they have also avoided observing the death anniversary of poet Rabindranath Tagore on August 6, similarly citing the Eid holidays which was in the near future. We believe the Rabindra death anniversary could have been celebrated in brief-- it was not a difficult task and Bangla Academy observed it despite the rush of the Eid holidays. Moreover, the Nazrul death anniversary came after two weeks of the Eid holidays and one can only wonder whether the Shilpakala Academy is so indifferent to the cause of the rebel poet or incapable of putting together a programme after the Eid festival interval.
On this occasion yesterday, Nazrul enthusiasts held musical soirées at TV channels. Bangladesh TV and Betar held Nazrul song programmes and the Bangla Academy remembered the poet through discussion and cultural programme. Nazrul Institute is organising a three-day conference from Sunday at the National Museum auditorium. The Ministry of Cultural Affairs is reportedly sponsoring it. Dhaka University has also organised elaborate programmes which include recitation from the Qur'an at his grave side at the university central mosque and a procession of teachers and students on the campus. Many other organisations and individuals in the city and the districts also remembered the rebel poet with due respect on this occasion.
President Abdul Hamid , Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the leader of the Opposition Begum Khaleda Zia have paid tributes to the poet in separate messages, but there is a visible missing spirit in officially remembering Nazrul in the recent past. The warmth is fading away and he is moreover, narrowly highlighted now as a poet only while his critical role as a journalist and an epochmaking political thinker who had awakened the people of the subcontinent against the British colonial rule is ignored. His rebel songs were endless sources of inspiration to the freedom fighters during our liberation war. We remember the poet today with respect and gratitude for his contributions to the oppressed mankind and look forward that he would get the due respect that he deserved.