'Amar Purba Bangla' Poetry Writer National Prof Syed Ali Ahsan Dead!
Ishti Kutoom
translation of part of Syed Ali Ahsan's 'Amar Purba Bangla' poetry. I
thought of sharing with some of you who admire him.
My East Bengal, is like a wonderous cool river
What an amazingly cool river is my East Bengal
How quiet and again how gay
In sudden overflowing abandon.
Once loud and noisy
Many a time sleepy and lethargic;
At other times
A continuous flood of subdued voice.
You are bottomless
In the overflowing water of monsoon.
A heaven of generous heart,
A wide expanse of life
Stretching beyond the horizon.
A greeting like the boat
Swimming onward with sweeping current,
Like the full-throated song of the boatman
Singing with abandon
From his perch upon the bow.
-- Syed Ali Ahsan
>Syed Ali Ahsan: A distinguished Savant and Poet
>M. Mizanur Rahman
>New Nation, Aug 03, 2002
>
>Syed Ali Ahsan is one of the most versatile and savant personalities
>that Bangladesh had ever produced. As an educationist he made his
>career productive all through his life but as a poet and litterateur
>he contributed a lot to Bengali literature and as a critic he was an
>exponent of modern poetry, arts, and literature.
>
>His pronunciation is said to have been clear when he said, "I had
>never thought of becoming an extraordinary person when I always
>considered that it were not my plan to attain the eternal
>emancipation. I must have to exist then with everyday sun and its
>eclipse. In the limit of my etermial sight I must face sometimes
>hills, seas, prairies and so many travellers. Sometimes those
>seemed to have been enlightened and sometimes unaccountable. I had to
>pass my times expanding my perception onward with the wishes and agony
>of the ordinary people. When everybody sleeps the dew drops on the
>brassy earth, I found outside opening my window and tried to hear
>voices of the silent time."
>
>It appears that he had the inmate power to transliterate his own ideas
>in the form of dream and that came to him naturally from his matured
>though when he laid that image before us.
>
>"I have pleasure also to see this night.
>Is that the pleasure to look at the sky in darkness?
>To give ears to any sound of silence or to count gains
>of experience alone?
>The day when an uninterrupted freedom of speech
>wondered the world. The day when human beings
>dared to discover their own identities in the limited
>emptiness of the space and the day when the union of
>huge colours made a boundless darkness, I would like
>to enjoy nights of those days."
>
>Thus on any platform Syed Ali Ahsan could elaborate his thought where
>one can find the elements of prose and poetry of life. As if his
>volition seems to have forced out the required vocabularies to suit
>the occasion.
>
>My whole body is engulfed by a tree
>My toes are wounded by a stroke of stone
>My brain is disturbed by outward thoughts
>My eyes are covered with the leaves of the tree
>Nocturnal birds hide in my eyelids
>I am lost at every step
>All on a sudden the doors of the wood opened
>A butterfly from the great wood covered me
>Then I became as it were a leaf of grass
>The river does not accept me
>For me derision in fruits
>I hated the spring
>Becoming a piece of stone I took refuge ashore to
>enjoy waves
>No wind could take me away
>Nor was melted away in extreme heat
>Because I put fire in myself to speak out words
>in which I became a diamond
>but not the star of the sky
>
>The poetic genius in Syed Ali Ahsan was immense. He was famous among
>those of forties. Then it was East Bengal, now our country Bangladesh,
>he introduced prosaic form of poetry by writing a prose poem, 'AMAR
>PURBO BANGLA' The rendering of the same is given below-
>
>AMAR PURBO BANGLA
>(My East Bengal)
>
>My East Bengla appears to me the charming but sweet arbour
>of a huge mangosteen leaves that spread dark cluster
>on the rise of the dusk like the fathomless lake,
>like dark hairs of the clustered clouds
>and peace that fascinates anguish.
>
>My East Bengla rains sweet love
>that touch the heart of moistened azure sky
>and entwines golden creeper around mangosteen
>as if hairs are kept dishevelled looking on to the sky
>with endless thoughts comfortably gladden moment
>when many a cloudy feathers overwhelm the sun,
>then insensitive smells of heaps of paddies, mud and water
>seem to be bewildering;
>here sufferings of parting sweet heart anxiously waiting
>with eternal fear, hope, and disappointment towards journey of love
>for
>groom's alien palace, love tryst, three leaves
>and a branch of Kodombo tree bows down to kiss the land
>and there are many other trees, plants, creepers
>with those blue, yellow, violet, purple or white flowers flood-
>there are innumerable flowers as if dozing in their own
>way in peace,
>sleepily there lay black hairs like the eyes of the crow
>immersing feet
>as if a red lotus touches the heart of the body itself like
>the azure sky:
>
>You are my East Bengal-
>the body of an accomplished gladness of sweet
>mangosteen arbour.
>
>In writing prose Syed Ali Ahsan was adept, flawless and prolific. Let
>us see how amazing expressive description he made about one's eyes.
>
>"... Sometimes it appears to me some eyes look to be so beautiful! I
>don't know why do they. But eyes reflect the words of mind. There are
>no tricks in but talks are likely to trickle that shivers without
>sound writing to respond one's wise utterance. That is why everybody
>appreciates expressive fullness of the eyes."
>
>It is not at all easy to speak all about Syed Ali Ahsan in a few
>words. He had profound knowledge about contemporaneous subjects of
>arts, literature and things of educative values. He was a great
>educationist of our time. He would remain unforgettable to them who
>came across him anyway. Once I went to meet him in his residence with
>my poet friend Al Mujahheedy. He was very glad to receive us.
>Mujaheedy needed a write-up from him regarding the eminent artist of
>Bangladesh Kamrul Hasan. Sayed Ali Ahsan knew Kamrul Hasan
>from Calcutta. He could give the details of Kamrul Hasan from his
>memory but he was then indisposed. He was unable to write. Mojaheedy
>was asked to take dictation from him. Mujaheedy requested me as I
>could take down his talks swiftly. He gave me talks on Kamrul Hasan
>for about three hours. His recollection about his demised friend
>Kamrul Hasan was really very interesting. I could take down a very big
>article with a huge illustration worthy of an eminent artist. He
>compared Kamrul Hasan with a few noted artists of the world analyzing
>the traits of their famous art works. It was really enthralling to
>hear him. He was acute in description. His depth of knowledge was
>abysmal. It wondered me later I read a book on modern arts
>written by him which reminded me of his excellent memory. I found a
>lot of reference which he described in his dictation given to me in
>writing about Kamrul Hasan on the following day after Kamrul Hasan's
>demise. Each word of his description sees to have been a vocal
>picture. He did not retouch it. What a powerful speaker he was!
>Similar impeccable works of him I found in the history of the Bengali
>Literature and its completion. We lost this illustrious personality,
>savant, poet and a prominent educationist on 25 July 2002.
>During the war of liberation he joined the war and became a roving
>spokesman of Bangladeshi nationalism. He kept it up until his demise.
>It is an irreparable loss to Bangladeshi nation. We pray to the
>almighty Allah for the salvation of this great soul.
>
>Life-sketch of Syed Ali Ahsan
>
>Syed Ali Ahsan was born on 26 March, 1920 in a Sufi family of the
>village Alokdia of Magura district. His father Syed Ali Hamed was a
>devout Muslim of Sufi origin being conversant with Arabic and Persian
>languages along with the vernacular. His mother Syeda Kamrunnigar
>Khatun was also an educated and erudite of her age.
>
>In his early age Syed Ali Ahsan was given private tutor for studying
>at home and later he was admitted to the primary school at Dhamrai
>between 1926 and 1931. After the completion of his primary education
>at the village he came to Dhaka and got admitted to Armanitola High
>School at class IV. He passed the matriculation examination in first
>division in 1938 and started studying I.A. in the Dhaka College. He
>passed the I.A. examination in first division and admitted to the
>Dhaka University in English honours course and completed his post
>graduation degree between 1941 and 1944. During the course of studying
>in the university he took a part-time job as the lecturer of Dhaka
>Islamic Intermediate College for a few months in 1944. He however
>joined Hoogly Islamic Intermediate College as a lecturer in English
>until 1945. After the end of this year he joined the All India Radio
>Calcutta as the programme assistant. He married Kamar Mustary
>in 1946. Since then he enjoyed all along a very happy life. Between
>1947 and 1952 he became the father of two daughters and two sons. They
>are Syeda Nazz Kamar, Syeda Kamar Zabin, Syed Ali Kazem and
>Syed Aliul Amin. He came to Dhaka in 1947 and served Radio Pakistan
>for two years. In 1949 he joined the Dhaka University in the
>department of Bengali as the senior lecturer. Later on he joined
>Karachi University as the head of the Bengali department and he
>worked their between 1954 and 1960. He again came back to Dhaka and
>joined Bangla Academy as its Director and he worked here from 1960 to
>1966. He participated the UNESCO seminars in 1966 and became the
>adviser to its secretariat. There after he joined the Chittagong
>University as the head of the department of Bengali and served from
>1966 to 1971. Meanwhile he was elected here as the dean of art
>faculty. In 1971 he joined the war of liberation and became very
>active spokesman for the cause of the liberation of Bangladesh. After
>the war of liberation he joined the Jahangir Nagar University as the
>Vice Chancellor on February 2, 1972. And in the same year
>he was nominated as the member of the Dhaka and Chittagong University
>Syndicate respectively. He worked at Jahangir Nagar University as its
>Vice Chancellor upto 1975. But in the same year he again came back to
>the Chittaong University and joined in his former job but he could not
>stay there any more as he was made the Vice-Chancellor of the Rajshahi
>University until 1977. In 1977 he became the minister of education,
>culture, sports, and religion. In 1978 he again joined Jahangir Nagar
>University as the professor of Bengali and in 1980 he worked as the
>part-time professor of Charukala Institute of Fine Arts. In 1982 he
>edited a half-yearly English Magagine "Approach". In 1983 his wife
>Kamar Mustary breathed her last. On 1983 26 March he went on
>retirement. In 1989 he was made the National Professor and he became
>the Chairman of the University Grant Commission in the same year. In
>1991 he tendered his resignation from chairmanship of the University
>Grant Commission and engaged in literacy works. However in 1999 he
>joined the Dural Ehsan University as its Vice Chancellor. The founder
>of this university was his younger bother renewed Prof. Syed Ali
>Ashraf.
>
>Awards
>
>Syed Ali Ahsan was awarded "Swadhinata Swarno (gold) Padak, the
>highest honour given by the government of Bangladesh in 1987. In 1992
>the French government honoured him with "Officer De Lordre Des
>Et Des Letters certificate. He got Ekushe Padak,, Nasiruddin Swarno
>Padak, Michael Modhusudan Sahitya Puraskar. He was awarded Paul Harish
>Padak of Lion's International and in 2002 he was awarded a gold medal
>from the Ministry of Education, Bangladesh.
>
>>Nat'l Prof Syed Ali Ahsan dead, laid to rest
>>
>>SAVAR, July 25 (BSS): Noted educationist, poet and National Professor
>>Syed Ali Ahsan was laid to rest Thursday with state honour inside the
>>campus of Jahangirnagar University of which he was once the
>>Vice-Chancellor. Education Minister Dr Osman Farruk placed wreaths on
>>the coffin of the National Professor on behalf of Prime Minister
>>Khaleda Zia. Prof Syed Ali Ahsan died at his Dhanmondi residence in
>>the capital Thursday morning. He was 81. The poet left behind two
>>sons, two daughters, grandsons, Grand daughters and a host of students
>>and followers to mourn his death. The late National Professor worked
>>relentlessly throughout his life for the development of country's
>>education, literature and culture. He was a freedom Fighter and played
>>a key role in the creation of international public opinion in favour
>>of the glorious War of Liberation. He served as the chairman of the
>>board of trustees of private Darul Ihsan University. Family sources
>>said until Wednesday Prof Ali Ahsan was busy writing a book titled
>>"Cultural History of Bangladesh." His last two published books are
>>"Jiboner Shilannash" and "Muhammad (SM), the Seal of the Prophets."
>>Hundreds of admirers of Syed Ali Ahsan rushed to his Dhanmondi
>>residence as the news of his death spread in the city. Academicians,
>>noted poets, writers and his beloved students rushed to the
>>Bashiruddin Road residence in North Dhanmondi to pay their last
>>respects to the illustrious son of the soil. Syed Ali Ahsan's coffin
>>was brought to Darul Ihsan University campus and Bangla Academy. His
>>first Namaz-e-Janaza was held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after
>>Maghreb prayers. Ministers, writers, poets and hundreds of admirers of
>>the late poet attended the Janaza. Later, his coffin was taken to
>>Jahangirnagar University campus, according to his last wish. After the
>>second Namaz-e-Janaza there, he was buried on the green campus, where
>>he served as Vice Chancellor from 1972 to 1975.( BSS)
>>
>>>Syed Ali Ahsan dead
>>>UNB, Dhaka
>>>July 26, 2002
>>>
>>>Eminent educationist, national professor Syed Ali Ahsan died of old
>>>age ailment at his North Dhanmondi Kalabagan residence on Thursday
>>>morning. He was 83.
>>>
>>>Prof Ahsan, a renowned poet, litterateur and freedom fighter, left
>>>behind two sons, two daughters and a host of students, colleagues and
>>>well-wishers to mourn his death.
>>>
>>>The namaz-e-janaza of late Prof Ahsan was held at Baitul Mukarram
>>>National Mosque premises after Asr prayers. He was buried at
>>>Jahangirnagar University campus.
>>>
>>>Syed Ali Ahsan was the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University and
>>>Rajshahi University.
>>>
>>>He was made Adviser for Education during the government of late
>>>President Ziaur Rahman in 1977 and Chairman of the Bangladesh
>>>University Grants Commission in 1991.
>>>
>>>The government honoured him with the status of a 'National Professor'
>>>in 1989.
>>>
>>>Syed Ali Ahsan was the head of the Bengali Department of Chittagong
>>>University during 1968-1971 and Director of Bangla Academy during
>>>1960-1966.
>>>
>>>He received Bangla Academy Award in 1983 and Independence Day Award in
>>>1987.
>>>
>>>Education Minister Dr Osman Faruk expressed
>>>profound shock at the death of National Professor
>>>Syed Ali Ahsan and prayed for the salvation of the
>>>departed soul.
>>>
>>>Conveying deep sympathy to the bereaved family
>>>members, the Education Minister said the country has
>>>lost an eminent educationist at the demise of Prof
>>>Ahsan.
>>
>