Speakers as a seminar organised by Bangla Academy on Sunday shed the spotlight on the life, ideology and works of eminent poet Farrukh Ahmad, widely revered as the poet of the ‘Muslim Renaissance’ on his 50th death anniversary.

Presided over by Bangla Academy Director General Professor Mohammad Azam, the seminar was joined by Syed Wahiduzzaman, son of the late poet. Dr Sarker Amin, Director (Ongoing Duty), Culture, Magazine and Auditorium Division at the academy, delivered the welcome speech at the seminar.

Researcher Kudrat E Huda presented the keynote at the seminar titled ‘The way we should read poet Farrukh Ahmad’, while Bangla Academy fellow and poet Abdul Hye Sikder and poet Sohel Hasan Galib spoke at the event.

The speakers pointed out how the poet was misinterpreted as the Pakistan-centric litterateur while in reality, he acted as the voice of the voiceless Muslim majority in East Bengal and always cherished a prosperous and harmonious society.

Bangla Academy DG Professor Mohammad Azam said, “Farrukh Ahmed has always been significant in the country’s poetry and literature; however, we did not always pay proper attention to the readings of many great writers and poets, like Farrukh Ahmad. We hope that fresh initiatives will be taken to study and practice Farrukh Ahmed in this new inclusive Bangladesh."

Reminiscing his father’s relationship with Bangla Academy, Syed Wahiduzzaman said that Bangla Academy and Farrukh Ahmed shared a great literary connection from the academy’s inception. “He was the first poet to receive the Bangla Academy Award, and the academy reminisced Farrukh Ahmad at different times, which unfortunately got stagnant in the last few decades. We are happy that after a long time, the academy has organised this discussion programme to commemorate the 50th death anniversary of Farrukh Ahmad,” he said.

Born in the village of Majhail of Magura District on June 10, 1918, Farrukh Ahmad is widely acclaimed for his poetic creations including ‘Sat Sagorer Majhi’, ‘Sirajam Munira’, ‘Naufel O Hatem’, ‘Muhurter Kobita’, ‘Hatemtayi’, ‘Sindabad’ and more.

A receiver of major literary accolades in the country including the Bangla Academy Literary Award (1960), UNESCO Prize (1966), Ekushey Padak (posthumously, 1977) and Independence Day Award (posthumously, 1980) among others, poet Farrukh Ahmad passed away on October 19, 1974, at the age of 56 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.