IUB launches 'The Ballad of Titumir' written by graduate students

The Department of English and Modern Languages at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) has launched a book titled The Ballad of Titumir, an epic poem of about 22,000 lines.

The event took place on August 26 at the Faculty Lounge of the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (SLASS).

The poem, written by graduate students Farhin Tasnim and Rabiah Binthe Hossain and edited by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman, was published by IUB. It portrays the life and struggle of 19th-century rebel and reformer Syed Mir Nisar Ali Titumir, who led a peasant uprising against British colonial rulers and zamindars in Bengal. The work was produced as part of coursework for the master's course The Great Epics.

At the launch, IUB Vice Chancellor Prof. M. Tamim praised the authors, saying: "It is truly commendable that the students had taken on the task of writing an epic. An epic is not something that is written every day, and their achievement deserved recognition."

Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Daniel W. Lund highlighted the literary quality of the poem. "I was amazed by the remarkable readability and the mastery with which each line was written," he said.

Co-author Farhin Tasnim expressed gratitude to their supervisor. "We would not have dared to attempt an epic without the constant encouragement and guidance of Prof. Ahsanuzzaman, whose inspiration made it possible," she said.

Her co-author Rabiah Binthe Hossain explained their choice of subject. "We wanted to bring Titumir's story into an epic form because his struggle embodied resistance, dignity, and the voice of the marginalized. It felt important to retell his life in this way."

Also speaking at the event were SLASS Dean Prof. Bokhtiar Ahmed, Ekushey Padak laureate Prof. Niaz Zaman, Head of the Department Dr. Naureen Rahnuma, and Prof. Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman. Faculty members, administrators, and students attended the launch.