The 117th birth anniversary of the national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, is being observed across the country on Wednesday.Nazrul, the rebel poet of Bengali literature, was born at Churulia in Burdwan district of West Bengal on this day in 1899.To marks the day in a befitting manner, the cultural arena of the country has chalked out elaborate programmes.With Cultural Minister Asaduzzaman Noor in the chair, President Md Abdul Hamid Advocate will attend the Nazrul’s birth anniversary celebration at MA Aziz Outer Stadium in Chittagong today.Marking the 117th birth anniversary of the national poet, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy will hold a cultural programme at its National Theatre Auditorium in the city this evening.Prominent elocutionists Ahkam Ullah, Syed Hasan Imam, Ashraful Alom, Naila Tarannum Kakoly and Foyzullah Sayeed will recite poems at the event.In 1942 at the age of 43 he began suffering from an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. It is often said, the reason was slow poisoning by British Government but later a medical team in Vienna diagnosed the disease as Morbus Pick, a rare incurable neurodegenerative disease. It caused Nazrul`s health to decline steadily and forced him to live in isolation for many years.The Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam breathed his last in Dhaka on August 29, 1976 and He was buried on the premises of Dhaka University central mosque with state honour.He was brought to the newborn independent country, Bangladesh, from India on May 24, 1972.To recognise his contribution to Bangla literature and culture, Dhaka University awarded the poet the honorary DLit degree at a special convocation on December 9, 1974.Nazrul was given the citizenship by the then government in January 1976. He was awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak the same year.