An Anthology of Bangla Poems
Edited by: Helal Uddin Ahmed, Reviewed by Supriti Sarkar
Helal Uddin Ahmed's "An Anthology of Bangla Poems", coincidentally comprises carefully selected 68 translated outstanding poems that have been written in the last 68 years.
The poems influence is rooted in the year of the post partition of the Indian sub-continent (1947) that also covers East Bengal, now known as Bangladesh.
Although most of the translated poems have been previously published in national dailies and magazines, the volume showcases poets from 1947-2015, all in one volume in English that was previously not done in Bangladesh. The whole process of translation itself took three and a half decades.
The compiler worked as an Editor/Senior Editor in the Bangladesh Quarterly for a period of 15 years (1998-2003) during which time he interacted with many veterans and young poets.
Through the interactions with such poetic flair the idea of this compilation was born. This anthology is not exhaustive but selections of the poems were done based on either the poet's reputation in Bangla literature or the personal preferences of the compiler himself.
The collection is meant to aid readers as well as academics and researchers to comprehend translated Bangla Poetry, post partition of the Indian sub continent and Liberation War.