United News of Bangladesh

Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam on Saturday said the poetry of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore has long served as a source of inspiration for the people of Bangladesh, including during their struggle against autocracy. Speaking at a programme marking the 165th birth anniversary of Tagore at the National Theatre Hall of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in the capital, he said people of the country fought for 17 years, drawing strength from the poet’s words and ideals. “The people of Bangladesh loved the hard truth and endured a long struggle. That struggle did not betray them; rather, it brought them a new dawn,” he said, quoting Tagore’s famous line: “Truth is hard, but I have loved the hard, and it never deceives.” The four-day event has been organised by Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with support from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Nurul Islam said Tagore’s writings remain deeply relevant to Bangladesh’s national life and social movements. Referring to Tagore’s poem “Ore Nobin, Ore Amar Kancha”, he said the poet always believed in the power of youth to break social stagnation and lead society forward. “During our Liberation War too, Tagore’s poems and songs inspired our people,” he added. The Chief Whip described Tagore as a versatile literary figure who enriched Bengali literature, music and culture through poetry, songs, novels and acting. He said Rabindra Sangeet carries a unique appeal that remains closely linked to the growth of Bengali language, culture and education. Calling on the younger generation to read Tagore’s works, he urged them to contribute to building a culturally enriched and progressive Bangladesh. He also expressed concern over the growing influence of “distorted and foreign cultures” and stressed the need to create a society free from drugs, evil forces and autocracy. At the beginning of the programme, the Chief Whip was presented with a commemorative crest and honoured with a traditional shawl. Among others, Director General of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy Rezauddin Stalin, officials of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and media personnel were present at the event.

The 165th birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore was observed across the country with various programmes. Tagore, a towering figure in Bengali literature, was born on 25 Baishakh, 1268 (May 7, 1861) at the Jorasanko Mansion in Kolkata. A poet, philosopher, playwright and painter, he remains one of the most influential cultural figures in South Asia. Marking the occasion, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy has arranged a four-day programme titled “Rabindranath: Poet of Peace and Humanity” at the National Theatre Auditorium beginning today. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr ABM Obaidul Islam was attended the opening-day programme as the chief discussant, while Bangla Academy Secretary Mohammad Zakir Hossain  delivered the welcome speech. The event features music, dance and recitations based on Tagore’s works. On the second day on Saturday, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni will attend as the chief guest, while State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmood Khyom will be present as a special guest with Cultural Affairs Secretary Kaniz Moula in the chair. The programme will again include Tagore’s songs, recitations and dance performances. On the third day on Sunday, a cultural programme featuring Tagore’s music, dance and recitations will be held at the National Theatre Auditorium. On the same day, a painting exhibition will be inaugurated at Gallery-2 of the National Theatre Building. The exhibition will remain open from 11:00am to 8:00pm daily until May 23. On the concluding day on May 11, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Industrial Affairs Ruhul Kabir Rizvi will attend a discussion as the chief guest. After the discussion, theatre troupe Prachyanat will stage the play “Achalayatan”, directed by Azad Abul Kalam. Besides the central programme in Dhaka, Shilpakala Academy branches across the country are organising discussions and cultural events highlighting Tagore’s literary and artistic contributions. Meanwhile, University of Dhaka also celebrated the occasion on Friday with a discussion and cultural programme at the RC Majumdar Arts Auditorium. The discussion was chaired by Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Abdus Salam, while Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Mohammad Almujaddade Alfasane spoke as the guest of honour.

The 164th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore will be observed across the country with various programs organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. This year’s theme is "Rabindranath and Bangladesh". The main three-day celebration will begin  at Rabindra Kuthibari in Shilaidaha, Kushtia, on Monday and continue until May 10(25–27 Boishakh 1432). The event is jointly arranged by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, and Kushtia district administration. Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki will attend the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest, while Secretary Md Mofidul Rahman will chair the event. Additional Secretary Md Farhad Siddique will deliver the welcome speech, and Professor Mansur Musa will give the commemorative address. Dr Nakib Mohammad Nasrullah, Vice Chancellor of Islamic University, will attend as special guest. The cultural segment will feature a group dance performance of "Akash bhora surjo tara" by the academy's dancers. Kumar Bishwajit to return to stage after long hiatus Suma Rani Roy and Bulbul Islam will perform a series of Tagore songs including "Ami Kothay Pabo Tare", "Ghorete Bhromor Elo", and "Tumi Kemon Kore Gaan Koro," to name a few of the performances. A separate cultural event titled "Anandojogge amar nimantron" will be held on May 9 at 6:30 pm at the National Theatre Hall, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka. The program will be chaired by Mohammad Wares Hossain, Secretary and Acting Director General of the Academy, with a welcome speech from Mehjabeen Rahman, Director of the Academy’s Music, Dance, and Recitation department. The event includes performances by dance group Bhavna and renditions of Tagore songs by both senior and emerging artists. The evening will conclude with group dances and songs such as "Aj Dokhin Duar Khola", "O Re O Re Amar", and "Oi Moha Manob Ashe." In addition to Dhaka and Kushtia, celebratory events will be held in all seven divisions. All programs are open to the public.

The 161st birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore will be observed in the country on Sunday after two years of muted celebrations for the Covid-19 pandemic. Tagore was a poet, visual artist, playwright, novelist, as well as a composer whose works reshaped Bangla literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on May 7, 1861 at Jorasanko mansion in Kolkata, he was the youngest of 13 surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi. He became Asia's first Nobel laureate after winning the Nobel Prize in literature for Gitanjali in 1913. Also read: Remembering Tagore, the polymath! Two of his songs are now the national anthems of Bangladesh and India. Tagore wrote novels, short stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays on political and personal topics. Gitanjali, Gora, and Ghare-Baire, Chokher Bali are among his best-known works. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the occasion. President Hamid wished overall success of all the ceremonies planned to observe the birth anniversary saying, “May the call of 25th Baishakh to the evergreen touch every Bengali’s heart.” “I believe that the philosophy of the ‘Biswa Kabi,s’  life and his creations will forever inspire the Bengalis in building a non-communal Bangladesh free from exploitation and deprivation,” said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message. Also read: Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help Bangladesh Television and different private television channels and Bangladesh Betar will air special programmes highlighting the life and works of Rabindranath. Like every year, different cultural organisations have chalked out events to celebrate the occasion with rich tributes to Tagore through performances and lecture on his life and works.

The 80th death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, the first non-European and Bengali poet to win the Nobel Prize in literature, is being observed on Friday. According to the Gregorian calendar, Tagore died at the age of 80 on August 7 in 1941, but his death anniversary is traditionally observed on 22nd Srabon according to the Bengali calendar. Since his death, the day has always been observed with extensive programmes in a befitting manner as a tradition in both Bangladesh and India. However, because of the ongoing pandemic and the consequent shutdown, the day is being commemorated with online events this year. Several cultural organisations and government-non government institutions are paying their respective tributes with virtual events, featuring several noted artists, Tagore enthusiasts and scholars. Also read: Remembering Tagore, the polymath who reshaped Bengali literature & music Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) began the day by streaming live on its Facebook page a virtual programme at 10 am. The event, titled 'Apon Majhe Shokti Dhoro, Nijeke Koro Joy', features discussions and cultural performances. Several cultural personalities, including Syed Hasan Imam and Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, have been roped in by BSA. Bangla Academy will also pay its tribute with an online programme, to be streamed live on its Facebook page at 4 pm. KM Khalid, State Minister for Cultural Affairs, will join the event as the chief guest while eminent novelist Selina Hossain will present the keynote speech. Newly elected Director General of Bangla Academy, Mohammad Nurul Huda will deliver the welcome speech and the event will be presided over by National Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam. Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi will stream a Facebook live programme at 7.30 pm. The online event will feature songs, dance, recitation, and discussions, and it will be joined by Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, Azizul Huq, Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi General Secretary Jamshed Anwar Tapan, and Assistant General Secretary Iqbalul Haque Khan, besides others. Also read: Japanese documentary ‘’Tagore Songs’’ screened virtually Bangladesh Sangeet Sangathan Samannay Parishad will stream an online event on Saturday at 8 pm. The event will feature Tagore songs and discussions featuring singer Roquaiya Hasina, Khairuzzaman Kaiyum, and Soma Rani Ray will entertain viewers rendering Tagore songs. The country's leading cultural institution, Chhayanaut will broadcast an online programme, titled 'Shraboner Amontrone' on its Facebook page and YouTube channel at 9 pm. The event will feature recorded videos of Tagore songs, rendered by prominent Rabindra Sangeet exponents. Besides, different TV channels, radio stations, and other online platforms will telecast special programmes marking the death anniversary of Tagore. The youngest of the 13 surviving children of Debendranath Tagore and Sarada Devi, Rabindranath Tagore was born on 25th Baishakh, 1268, in Bengali calendar (May 7, 1861, according to the Gregorian calendar) in Jorasanko mansion of Calcutta, then in British India. Also referred to as the "Bard of Bengal", Tagore composed over 2,000 songs which created a separate genre known as ‘Tagore songs’ in both the Bengals. Besides, he penned a total of eight novels, 84 short stories, and an uncountable number of poems in his prolific literary career spanning almost seven decades. He envisioned and founded the Visva Bharati University at Santiniketan in 1921 in order to spread the practice of culture and literature in the broader sphere and create future artists and literateurs for ages.  For his anthology of lyrical ballads ‘Gitanjali’ (Song Offerings), Tagore received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 as the first Bengali and Non-European poet. Bangladesh's national anthem 'Amar Shonar Bangla' and India's 'Jana Gana Mana' were written by him.

The Embassy of Bangladesh in Seoul in partnership with the Embassy of India in Seoul, Indian Art Museum, Tagore Society of Korea and the Bengali Association of Korea and expatriate Bangladeshis celebrated the "Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti" Saturday. Also, the centenary of the publication of Kazi Nazrul Islam's poem "Bidrohi" (The Rebel) was observed, and a cultural presentation on the music and poems written by Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam was released. The Bangladesh Embassy, for the first time, celebrated the Rabindra-Nazrul Jayanti and centenary of the publication of Nazrul's poem Bidrohi in partnership with the Indian Embassy in Seoul, Indian Art Museum, Tagore Society of Korea, expatriate Bangladeshis and the Bengali Association of Korea.

With the ongoing second wave of Covid-19 barring artistes to showcase their performances in front of live audiences, the 160th birth anniversary of Noble Prize-winning Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore is being observed online on Saturday. Just like last year, several cultural organisations have chalked out a handful of virtual events to celebrate the occasion with rich tributes to the Bengali polymath through performances and lecture on his life and works. Chhayanaut, Bangladesh Shipakala Academy, Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre and others will pay tribute to the Noble Laureate litterateur by organising online programmes with esteemed artists from home and abroad. Country’s leading cultural organisation Chhayanaut is set to host a cultural event titled Dhor’ Nirbhoy Gaan, which is scheduled to be streamed live from Chhayanaut's YouTube and Facebook group at 9 pm on Saturday. Also read: Japanese documentary ‘’Tagore Songs’’ screened virtually Chhayanaut Secretary-General Laisa Ahmed Lisa said, “On this glorious occasion during this pandemic, may his messages of harmony unite us against the odds, and channelling those messages to the admirers of Rabindranath Tagore and his majestic creations is the purpose of our programme.” This marks the second consecutive year of Chhayanaut’s virtual celebration -- last year, it organized an event titled ‘Oi Mohamanob Ashe’, streamed live on its YouTube channel named Chhayanaut Digital-Platform and its official Facebook group. Bangladesh Shipakala Academy (BSA) is also hosting a virtual event featuring cultural performances and discussions on the life and majestic creations of Tagore on its Facebook page at 11 am. Also read: Tagore’s 79th death anniv: Remembering the great poet The event will be joined by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Badrul Arefin, BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, renowned Rabindrasangeet artiste Tapan Mahmud, singer Nobonita Chowdhury, dance maestro Sharmila Bandyopadhyay, recitation artist Dalia Ahmed and more. Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) will stream an online programme on its Facebook page at 7.30 pm on Saturday. The programme is scheduled to be joined by renowned artists from Bangladesh and India. One of the world's leading institutes for research and programmes on South Asia, the Institute for South Asia Studies (ISAS) at the University of California, Berkeley, is hosting another virtual event to celebrate the birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore at 10 pm on Saturday, with cultural presentations of esteemed artistes from Bangladesh and India. The event, titled 'Pochishe Boishakh: Celebrating the Birth Anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore at UC Berkeley', will be telecast on the Facebook page of the Institute for South Asia Studies. Also read: Chhayanaut celebrates Tagore’s 159th birth anniversary on YouTube Bangladesh Rabindrasangeet Shilpi Sangstha Dinajpur will stream a live programme on its Facebook page at 9.30 pm. The programme will feature cultural performances including songs, recitations and discussions by artistes from both Bangladesh and India. Besides, various television and radio channels are scheduled to host a number of programmes on the day.

A Japanese documentary named ‘’Tagore Songs’’ has been screened recently at the Embassy of Japan here.

Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, High Commission of India, Dhaka webcasted “Confluence through poems”, a recitation of poems by Rabindranath Tagore by renowned artists of Bangladesh observing death anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore on Friday.