Kazi Nazrul Islam
Bengali writer, philosopher and musician
Died when: 77 years 97 days (927 months)Star Sign: Gemini
Kazi Nazrul Islam (Bengali: ???? ????? ?????, pronounced [ka?d??i nod??rul ?slam]; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, writer, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh.
Nazrul is regarded as one of the greatest poets in Bengali literature. Popularly known as Nazrul, he produced a large body of poetry, music, messages, novels, stories, etc. with themes that included equality, justice, anti-imperialism, humanity, rebellion against oppression and religious devotion.
Nazrul's activism for political and social justice as well as writing a poem titled as "Bidrohi", meaning "the rebel" in Bengali, earned him the title of "Bidrohi Kôbi" (Rebel Poet).
His compositions form the avant-garde music genre of Nazrul Giti (Music of Nazrul). Born into a Bengali Muslim Kazi family hailing from Burdwan district in Bengal Presidency (now in West Bengal, India), Nazrul Islam received religious education and as a young man worked as a muezzin at a local mosque.
He learned about poetry, drama, and literature while working with the rural theatrical group Le?or Dôl, Le?o being a folk song genre of West Bengal usually performed by the people from Muslim community of the region.
He joined the British Indian Army in 1917 and was posted in Karachi. Nazrul established himself as a journalist in Calcutta after the war ended.
He criticised the British Raj and called for revolution through his famous poetic works, such as "Bidrohi" ("????????", 'The Rebel') and "Bhangar Gan" ("??????? ???", 'The Song of Destruction'), as well as in his publication Dhumketu ('The Comet').
His nationalist activism in Indian independence movement led to his frequent imprisonment by the colonial British authorities. While in prison, Nazrul wrote the "Rajbôndir Jôbanbôndi" ("????????? ?????????", 'Deposition of a Political Prisoner').
His writings greatly inspired Bengalis of East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War. Nazrul's writings explored themes such as freedom, humanity, love, and revolution.
He opposed all forms of bigotry and fundamentalism, including religious, caste-based and gender-based. Nazrul wrote short stories, novels, and essays but is best known for his songs and poems.
He introduced the ghazal songs in Bengali language and is also known for his extensive use of Arabic, Persian and Urdu words in his works.
Nazrul wrote and composed music for nearly 4,000 songs (many recorded on HMV and gramophone records), collectively known as Nazrul Giti.
In 1942 at the age of 43, he began to suffer from an unknown disease, losing his voice and memory. A medical team in Vienna diagnosed the disease as Pick's disease, a rare incurable neurodegenerative disease.
It caused Nazrul's health to decline steadily and forced him to live in isolation. He was also admitted in Ranchi (Jharkhand) psychiatric hospital for many years.
At the invitation of the Government of Bangladesh, Nazrul's family took him to Bangladesh and moved to Dhaka in 1972. He died four years later on 29 August 1976.
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