Kaji Nazrul Islamr

25 May 1899–29 August 1976

১ই জ্যৈষ্ঠ, ১৩০৬ - ১২ ভাদ্র, ১৩৮৩

A Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi (Rebel Poet). Accomplishing a large body of acclaimed works through his life, Nazrul is officially recognized as the national poet of Bangladesh and commemorated in India.

Nazrul's writings explore themes such as love, freedom, and revolution; he opposed all bigotry, including religious and gender. Throughout his career, Nazrul wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best-known for his poems, in which he pioneered new forms such as Bengali ghazals. Nazrul wrote and composed music for his nearly 4,000 songs (including gramophone records) [1], collectively known as Nazrul geeti (Nazrul songs), which are widely popular today. At the age of 43 (in 1942) he began suffering from an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. Eventually diagnosed as Pick's disease, it caused Nazrul's health to decline steadily and forced him to live in isolation for many years. Invited by the Government of Bangladesh, Nazrul and his family moved to Dhaka in 1972, where he died four years later.

Listen to Nazrul Islam's poem recited by the poet's son Kaji Sabyasachi:

	আজ সৃষ্টি সুখের উল্লাসে
	বিদ্রোহী

Excerpts from "আমার কৈফিয়ত্"

আমি বলি ওরে কথা শোন্ ক্ষ্যাপা, দিব্যি আছিস খোশ্-হালে !

প্রায় 'হাফ'-নেতা হ'য়ে উঠেছিস, এবার এ দাঁও ফসকালে

'ফুল'-নেতা আর হবিনে যে হায় !-

বক্তৃতা দিয়া কাঁদিতে সভায়

গুঁড়ায়ে লঙ্কা পকেটেতে বোকা এই বেলা ধোকা ! সেই তালে

নিস্ তোর ফুটো ঘরটাও ছেয়ে নয় পস্তাবি শেষকালে ।

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Profile as publishes by Wikipedia