Govt officially declares Nazrul national poet

The government has issued a gazette notification, officially recognising Kazi Nazrul Islam as Bangladesh's national poet. 

The cultural ministry made the announcement, formalising a recognition that was considered long overdue, reports UNB.

The decision came on December 24, following on from a  December 5 advisory council approval to a proposal to retroactively put into effect the national poet status from May 4, 1972.

Although the gazette was published on December 24, it was officially received on Thursday, Latiful Islam Shibli, executive director of Kabi Nazrul Institute, told The Daily Star yesterday.

"Until the gazette was printed by BG [Bangladesh Government] Press, it remained only a cabinet decision. Now it has received formal recognition. Since taking charge of the Nazrul Institute, I have worked on this matter with utmost importance. So finally, it is completed today [yesterday]."

Kazi Nazrul Islam, widely revered as  the "Rebel Poet", was brought to Dhaka from Kolkata with his family on May 24, 1972. The government allocated him a house at 330-B, Road 28 (Old), Dhanmondi, to honour his contributions, said the UNB report.

He was granted Bangladesh citizenship on February 18, 1976, and was also awarded the prestigious Ekushey Padak that same year.

The Kazi Nazrul Islam Institute Act of 2018 officially addressed him as the national poet. However, no official gazette was issued until recently.

The UNB report adds: Nazrul has been recognised as a central cultural figure since December 10, 1929, when he was honoured as the national poet and national helmsman at the Albert Hall in Kolkata.

The event was attended by luminaries such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray, S Wazed Ali, and Dinesh Chandra Das, representing the collective admiration of the Bengali community towards him.

Since Bangladesh's independence, successive presidents, prime ministers, and chief advisers have referred to Nazrul as the national poet in official statements marking his birth and death anniversaries. Despite widespread acceptance of his status, a formal declaration had long been absent.

In June 2022, Supreme Court lawyer Asad Uddin and nine others filed a petition seeking the publication of a gazette that officially recognises Nazrul as the national poet.

In response, the High Court issued a rule asking why Nazrul should not be recognised as the national poet, and directed the cultural affairs secretary, director-general of Bangla Academy, and executive director of Nazrul Institute to respond within four weeks.

This gazette notification marks a historic moment, solidifying Kazi Nazrul Islam's role as a beacon of cultural identity and resistance for the nation.