Independent University, Bangladesh celebrated the 126th birth anniversary of national poet Kazi Nazrul Islam organising a cultural event and lecture at the university鈥檚 DMK Lecture Gallery in Dhaka on Sunday.
The event was jointly organised by the Kazi Nazrul Islam and Abbasuddin Ahmed Research and Study Centre and the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, said a press release on Monday.
Ekushey Padak-winning writer and Nazrul-researcher Professor Niaz Zaman delivered a lecture, reflecting on Nazrul鈥檚 life, literary contributions and his continuing relevance.
Ekushey Padak-winning singer Fatema Tuz Zohra performed several Nazrul songs, showcasing the poet鈥檚 musical diversity influenced by Hawaiian, Spanish, South Indian and Bengali folk traditions.
Md Yousuf Ahmed Khan, a former IUB student and emerging singer, performed a set of popular Nazrul songs at the event.
In addition to anchoring the event, Marium Binte Hassan Farin, a student of environmental science and management at IUB, recited Nazrul鈥檚 iconic poems 鈥楤idrohi鈥� and 鈥楳anush鈥�.聽
Members of the IUB Music Club also performed selected Nazrul songs.
A minute of silence was observed in memory of recently demised Ekushey Padak-winning musicologist Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, one of the key figures behind the establishment of KNIAARSC over a decade ago, at the event.
Speakers at the event included IUB trustee Towhid Samad and IUB vice-chancellor Professor M Tamim.
Professor Ahmed Ahsanuzzaman, director of KNIAARSC, delivered the welcome and closing remarks. Trustee Husne Ara Ali, pro-VC Professor Daniel W Lund and treasurer Khandker Md Iftekhar Haider also enjoyed the program among others.