The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, High Commission of India in Dhaka on Tuesday launched a book on Rabindranath Tagore titled 'A Gift of the Magi to the West' and 'Glimpses of Bengal - His Ecstasy and Agony' written by Prof Anwarul Karim.  The Deputy High Commissioner Dr Binoy George highlighted Gurudev's contributions to the shared Bengali cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh and how the Indian cultural centre has been routinely organising such events that help to promote Tagore's heritage. Read: Pranay Verma appointed next Indian envoy to Bangladesh He also reminded that in its efforts to protect Tagore's legacy the HCI has helped in the establishment of a Rabindra Bhawan in Tagore's native Shalaidaha at a cost of Tk 18.17 crore.

Different government and private cultural organisations organized cultural programmes, discussions and awards ceremonies across the country on Sunday to celebrate the 161st birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagor. These events marked the glorious return of in-person celebrations of the 'Biswa Kabi's birth anniversary, after being virtually shelved for the last two years due to the global pandemic of COVID-19.   The Ministry of Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with Kushtia district administration, organised a programme at Rabindra Kuthibari in Shilaidaha, Kushtia on Sunday afternoon, which was joined by Jatiya Sangsad speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as chief guest. Chairperson of the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Simin Hossain Rimi was present as special guest at the programme, which was presided over by State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid. The artistes of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA), led by eminent Rabindra exponent Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya, performed the national anthem at the event. "Every criteria of Bengali emotions - happiness and sorrow, love and separation, joy and pain, all of these are impacted by the majestic creations of Rabindranath Tagore. He was deeply fascinated by the scenic beauty of Bangladesh, thus he composed "Amar Sonar Bangla" which was later selected as our National Anthem by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said at the event. State Minister for Culture KM Khalid said, "Rabindranath Tagore stayed in this historic Kuthibari in Shilaidaha in between 1891 to 1901, and crafted many of his iconic literary works - including the beginning of his Nobel Prize winning literature 'Gitanjali.' He has climbed the golden peak of success in all branches of poetry, stories, novels, essays, articles, plays, children's literature, biographies, music and more, which made him significantly unique and everlasting. Becoming the first Bengali Nobel Prize winner in literature, he has glorified Bengali language, Bengali literature and Bangladesh as well." Marking the occasion, BSA organised a discussion session and arranged a painting exhibition and art camp on Sunday afternoon at the National Art Gallery in Segunbagicha, Dhaka. The exhibition, which will continue till May 22, is showcasing reproductions of Tagore’s paintings and paintings portraying him, displaying 124 artworks in total. Among the displayed artworks, 45 are reproductions of Tagore’s paintings while 79 paintings are made on him.        

The 161st birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore is being celebrated 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. 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. READ: Tagore’s historic Kuthibari is threatened by river erosion, locals scream for help 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. Bangladesh Television and different private television channels and Bangladesh Betar are airing 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 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.

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.