রাগী লোক, ভা‌লো লোক

Photo Credit: knowledge.instead.edu

ভা‌লো লোক কড়া ও রাগী চ‌রি‌ত্রের হ‌য়ে থা‌কে। কারণ তারা অন্যায়, অসঙ্গ‌তি ও বিশৃংখলা বরদাশত কর‌তে পা‌রে না, কাউ‌কে সন্তুষ্ট করার জন্য মিথ্যাচার ক‌রে না, অাত্নতু‌ষ্টির জন্য মিথ্যা প্রশংসাও হজম ক‌রে না।

একজন ম‌নিষী ব‌লে‌ছেন, "যার রাগ বে‌শি সে নীর‌বে অ‌নেক ভা‌লোবাস‌তে জা‌নে।" প্রয়াত কথাসা‌হি‌ত্যিক হুমায়ূন অাহ‌মেদ ব‌লে গে‌ছেন, "রাগী মানুষই ভা‌লো মানুষ, অার যারা শয়তান তারা লা‌থি খে‌য়েও মিচকা হা‌সি দি‌তে পা‌রে।" রাগ একটা শ‌ক্তি, যে তা স‌ঠিকভা‌বে ব্যবহার কর‌তে জা‌নে, সে জীব‌নে সফল হ‌তে সক্ষম। যেমন অাগুন দি‌য়ে বা‌তি জ্বালা‌নো যায়, রান্না করা যায়, অাবার অাগুন দি‌য়ে ঘরও পোড়া‌নো যায়। সুতরাং কে কীভা‌বে রাগ‌কে ব্যবহার কর‌বে তার উপর ভা‌লো বা মন্দ ফলাফল নির্ভর কর‌বে। অাপ‌নি য‌দি রাগী লোক হন তা‌তে সমস্যা নেই, এর উপযুক্ত ব্যবহার করুন।

এক‌টি শিক্ষনীয় গল্প এখা‌নে প্র‌ণিধান‌যোগ্য। এক হাইস্কু‌লে দুই বন্ধু পড়া‌শোনা কর‌তো, একজন বু‌দ্ধিমান অার অন্যজন কিছুটা বোকা স্বভা‌বের। দুজ‌নের কা‌রোই পড়া‌শোনায় তেমন ভা‌লো ছি‌লো না, কারণ পড়া‌শোনা বা‌দে অন্য সব‌কিছু, যেমন, মাছ ধরা, পা‌খি শিকার করা, বাজ‌া‌রে যাওয়া, সি‌নেমা দেখা ও খেলাধুলা করা সবটা‌তেই  তা‌দের প্রচুর অাগ্রহ ছি‌লো। দশম শ্রেণী‌তে ১ম ও ২য় সাম‌য়িক দুইজনই সব বিষ‌য়ে ফেল কর‌লো। প্রধান শিক্ষক দুইজন‌কে ডে‌কে অাচ্ছাম‌তো তিরস্কার কর‌লেন, এবং বল‌লেন, "‌তোমরা দুই গাধা, তোমা‌দের পড়া‌শোনা যা হাল তা‌তে অাগামী দশ বছ‌রেও ‌তোমরা এসএস‌সি পাশ কর‌তে পার‌বে না।" তিরস্কারের ফলশ্রু‌তি‌তে দুইজ‌নের দুইরকম প্র‌তি‌ক্রিয়া হ‌লো। বু‌দ্ধিমান বন্ধু‌টির খুব রাগ ও অপমান‌বোধ হ‌লো। যে ম‌নে ম‌নে জেদ কর‌লো সে তার শিক্ষক‌কে ভুল প্রমাণ ক‌রে ছাড়‌বে এবং এক চা‌ন্সেই পাশ ক‌রবে। সে ব্যাপকভা‌বে পড়া‌শোনা শুরু কর‌লো। অার বোকা বন্ধু রাগ ও জেদ ক‌রে পড়া‌শোনা একপ্রকার বন্ধই ক‌রে দি‌লো। ফ‌লে তার অার এসএস‌সি পাশ করা হ‌লো না কোন‌দিন।

সুতরাং এখন বি‌বেচনার বিষয় অা‌মি বা অাপ‌নি কোন বন্ধুর দ‌লে পড়‌তে চাই। রাগ ক‌রে ক‌রে যে ভা‌লো কিছু ক‌রে সে যেমন লো‌কের শ্রদ্ধা ও সম্মান অর্জন কর‌তে পা‌রে, কিন্তু যে কিনা রা‌গের ব‌শে নি‌জের ও অ‌ন্যের ক্ষ‌তি ক‌রে, তার নি‌জের জীব‌নে তো উন্ন‌তি হয়ই না বরং তার প‌রিবার ও সমাজ তা‌তে ক্ষ‌তিগ্রস্ত হয়, সক‌লের নিকট সে অবজ্ঞার পা‌ত্রে প‌রিণত হয়।।

A tribute to a master storyteller

Humayun Ahmed, Bangladesh’s most popular writer of the century was laid to rest today at Nuhash Palli, a countryside farmland and residence, about 50 kms from capital Dhaka that he created and cherished himself.

He breathed his last  at New York’s Bellevue hospital last Thursday.

The sad news sent shockwave across the nation and the country is still mourning his death heavily. The kind of coverage he drew from local media over a week can well be something anyone on earth can be envious of.

Tens of thousands from all walks of society, young people surpassing all others lined up on the streets to pay final respects to Ahmed as his dead body arrived home early Monday.

They were sad because they won’t line up at Bangla Academy premises during largest Ekushey Book Fair to see their favorite writer and taking an autograph at most.

They cried as if their very dear one has passed away and placed Ahmed’s favorite local flower called ‘Kadam’ that blooms aplenty during monsoon.

The sad scenario that has prevailed in the country over the week is simply incredible but not surprising at all.

Ahmed was not only the bestselling author of around 200 fictions he wrote, but he reaped overwhelming and unmatched success and popularity he dealt with in lifetime.

It was just by chance he became a writer. He was student of science and became a professor of chemistry at Dhaka University.

In 1972 when he penned his first novel Nondito Noroke (In Blissful Hell), it brought him immediate success and popularity, and it changed his life forever. He left teaching to become a fulltime writer.

He wrote novels, short stories, TV drama, composed music, directed award-winning films on his writings. Some his characters became larger than life.

He won many national and international awards for his contribution to literature, drama and cinema.

However, few people knew he was also a good magician and owned the largest herbal and medicinal garden in the country.

He was indeed a ‘magician of words’ who knew so well to communicate his thoughts and imagination to ordinary people.

He was the first to realize that the language of literature should be simple and shouldn’t be treated as property of highly educated people.

He wrote in colloquial language flavored with deadpan humor, intelligence and knowledge- a rare quality for a writer in Bengali literature- for people irrespective of age, class, gender and religion.

Before him Bangladesh used to be full with writings on India-born Bengali writers, but Ahmed single-handedly broke the deadlock and helped breathe country’s publishing industry from the stranglehold.

After his death Sunil Ganguly, a top Indian Bengali author called Ahmed “the most popular Bengali writer of the century.”  He is the only Bangladeshi writer to get such acclaim.

In 1999 I first read one of Humayun Ahmed’s children fictions called ‘Botol Bhut’ (The Bottle Ghost). It was so interesting that I started believing that if the bottle ghost was real and began reading a number of books he already wrote.

As I studied English literature in college I felt Ahmed’s literature was by far ‘low quality’, as traditional critics used to say. But later realized that he has already created a unique style of writing and deep mourning of his death proves how popular he was.

For sometime after graduation I didn’t have a job and tried to survive with little pay from private tuitions. I stayed with some other bachelor friends like me and we used to be frustrated with life at the end of the day.

Every night we used to watch some films and drama, and those directed or written by Ahmed was our premium choice. They were not only educative but also humorous; they used to help us forget all pains and sufferings of life, at least for some time. Again, I started reading his writings.

Bangladesh and Bengali people across the globe will miss him forever, but he will live with them through his creative arts.

I too miss him and also pray for his departed soul and his bereaved family.

An abridged version of this post was published at UCAN Blogs on July 25, 2012

'Legendary Storyteller' passes away

Humayun Ahmed, the most popular Bangladeshi writer of his time has passed away yesterday at a hospital in New York while undergoing treatment for cancer that was diagnosed last year. He was 64.

His death news has sent shockwave across the nation as it arrived last night. President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition leader Khaleda Zia have deeply mourned the death of Ahmed.

In his condolence message the President said that Humayun Ahmed’s creative works would remain immortal in Bengali literature. He prayed for eternal peace of his departed and also conveyed sympathy the bereaved family, according to state-run Bangladesh News Agency (BSS).

“The nation will never forget Humayun Ahmed’s great contribution to Bengali literature, drama and films,” said Prime Minister Hasina.

Opposition chief Khaleda Zia said that death of Humayun Ahmed is an ‘unrepayable loss’ to the nation and the country.

“Death of Humayun Ahmed is like falling of a star. It is indeed a great loss,” said a prominent writer Anisul Haque.

Haque, also a journalist pointed out another great contribution of Ahmed. “Through his writings he has created overwhelming readership, something very promising for present-day writers who can reap this benefit.”


Ahmed began his career as professor of Chemistry at Dhaka University, country’s highest educational institution and also obtained doctorate degree on the subject from North Dakota State University in the US.

He later left teaching and became fulltime writer, dramatist and filmmaker. In 1972, while still a student at DU he wrote first novel, Nondito Noroke (The Acclaimed Hell) that brought him huge popularity and critical acclaim. His second novel, Shankhanil Karagar (The Conch-blue Prison) was equally successful.

Ahmed is one of the most prolific writers in Bengali literature authoring around 200 novels to his credit. He also wrote science fiction and created some fictitious characters like Himu and Misir Ali who became immensely popular like him.

His first TV drama was Ei Shob Din Ratri (Tale of our daily lives), followed by Bohubrihi (Tale of Family), Ayomoy (The man who would not die), Kothao Keu Nei (Nobody Anywhere), Nakshatrer Raat (The Night of the Stars), all because widely popular and successful.

His unique making made people perceive that if the characters were fictitious but real and they even protested when a popular character ‘Baker Bhai’ was executed in the drama.
Ahmed won the National Film Award in total eight categories, including Best Picture and Best Director, on his debut film, "Aguner Parashmoni" (The Touchstone of Fire), based on the liberation war 1971.


He often worked on liberation war and middle-class life crisis, largely because killing of his father by the Pakistani occupation force had a great impact on his works.

Ahmed received a number of awards home and abroad. Major literary awards include Bangladesh Academy Award 1981 and Ekushey Padak 1994. He also won three national film awards- best story 1993, Best Film 1994 and Best Script 1994. 


On Jan this year the government gave the writer a diplomatic position, Senior Special Adviser, at the country's Permanent Mission at the United Nations, allowing him certain privileges in the city where he was being treated and living with the family.


The writer is survived by two sons with second wife Shaon, and three daughters and a son with his former wife Gultekin.


*Click here or here to read more about Humayun Ahmed and his works*