Poetry, art and songs of broken souls

 

A young Rohingya refugee reads ‘Exodus: Between Genocide and Me’ by Rohingya poet Mayyu Ali at a refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh. (Photo: New Ali)

The river separates Arakan and Bengal

The river that Rohingya startle to hear

The crossing is to escape or to die

Where many are swallowed alive

The East becomes a roaring inferno

The West is world’s largest makeshift camp

Some leave their limbs behind, bodies are carried

Others cross with bullets embedded

A bullet in the chest is bigger than a heart

A body falls into the water

Another dances on the riverbank

The world just watches on

Whilst criminals erase their marks

The river cradles irrefutable evidence

Whilst the human solidarity is a lie

Waves bear witness to what victims suffer. (The Naf River)

This heart-rending poem embodies the agony of one of the world’s most persecuted minorities — Rohingya Muslims. And it has been composed by a young Rohingya poet in exile.

Mayyu Ali, 28, lives with his parents at Balukhali refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh. He is on the front line of a cultural resurgence among the beleaguered community.

Born and brought up at Maungdaw in Rakhine (Arakan) state of Myanmar, Ali studied for a BA degreee in English at the University of Sittwe in the state capital before sectarian violence in June 2012 stopped his education in the second year, forcing him to work for an aid agency in Maungdaw.

His family fled following the Aug. 25, 2017, military crackdown. “My home and village were burned down by the Burmese security forces and my parents and I escaped to Bangladesh for our lives,” Ali told UCA News.

Christians struggle in Bangladesh's literary landscape

Book hunters visit a stall at Amor Ekushey Gronthomela (Book Fair of Immortal 21). (Photo: Stephan Uttom/UCA News)

On the last Saturday of early spring, the famous Suhrawardy Udyan in central Dhaka thronged with thousands of book lovers.

The park has been hosting the month-long Amor Ekushey Gronthomela (Book Fair of Immortal 21), the largest and most popular annual literary festival of Bangladesh, for the past five years, offering more space for both book publishers and an increasing number of book hunters.

It started as an initiative of educationist-publisher Chittaranjan Saha, a Hindu, in 1972. The fair pays tribute to Bangla language martyrs of Feb. 21, 1952, who died in a clash with police during the Pakistan period upholding the rights of their mother tongue.

Since 1984, Bangla Academy, the state-funded autonomous body for the promotion of Bangla language, literature and culture, has organized the event.

However, the huge crowds at the fair pay little attention to Christian publications, largely because of their minimal presence and participation.

There are 873 stalls of 560 publishers and organizations at this year's book fair and only two of them are Christian. Some 15 Christian writers have published books so far, mostly through individual efforts and other publishers.

'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*