194th birthday of poet Madhusudan Dutt today

The 194th birthday of legendary Bengali poet and father of Bengali sonnet Michael Madhusudan Dutt is being observed with pomp and grandeur on Wednesday.

Sagordari, ancestral home of the great poet, in Jessore district has been witnessing a week-long mirth and merriment from Saturday marking the 194th birthday of the great poet.

A fair titled "Madhu Mela, featuring staging of drama, recitation of poems, setting up of small shops and cultural functions, are among the programmes chalked out to celebrate the birthday of the celebrated son of this soil.

The Madhu Mela has been drawing hundreds of curious visitors at the fair venue in Sagordari under Keshabpur upazila.

On Saturday, State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara Sadique inaugurated the weeklong fair as the chief guest while Jessore Deputy Commissioner Humayun Kabir chaired the function.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on Friday on the eve of the fair wishing success of programmes of the day.

In his message, the President said Madhusudan Dutt is a versatile talented poet who gave a new shape to Bengali literature and enriched it.

Michael is the author of first epic of Bengali literature, pioneer of introducing Amitrakshar chhanda (blank verses), father of sonnet and modern dramatist in Bengali literature, Abdul Hamid said.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Dutt`s unique literary works are invaluable assets of Bengali language and literature.

"He (Michael) has given a new life to Bengali literature overcoming the old perceptions, concepts and values. He gifted us with a wide range of poetic reservoir away from traditional literary trend," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Dutt`s immortal literary works including, drama, satirical plays, epic and sonnets, have helped Bengali language and literature attain a unique height.

Dutt`s most famous sonnet is "Kapatakkha River". Kapatakkha river is originated in Jessore, the poet`s ancestral home.

"Always, o river, you peep in my mind/Always I think you in this loneliness/Always I soothe my ears with the murmur/Of your waters in illusion, the way/Men hear songs of illusion in a dream," few lines of his extraordinary creation Kapatakkha river in which he showed his deep love towards his country and the river.

Apart from his outstanding talent in authoring poems, Madhusudan Dutt showed prodigious skill as a playwright as he was the first to write Bengali plays in the English style, segregating the play into acts and scenes.

He was also the pioneer of the first satirical plays in Bengali literature. `Buro Shaliker Ghare Ron` and `Ekei Ki Boley Sabyota` are among his famous satirical plays.

Source: BSS