Centenary of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Kandari Hushiar Commemorated at Central Shaheed Minar
Photo Collected
DHAKA — A century after Kazi Nazrul Islam composed “Kandari Hushiar” in response to the communal riots of 1926, the anthem echoed once again at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. The performance served as the centerpiece of a cultural event held on Saturday evening to mark the song’s centenary and the birth centenary of poet Sukanta Bhattacharya.
Organized by the Bangladesh Ganosangeet Samannay Parishad, the event featured a grand performance of “Kandari Hushiar” by a chorus of 120 singers. More than 300 artists and performers contributed to the program, which included music, dance, and poetry recitations.
Kazi Nazrul Islam originally composed and set the music for the song during a period of intense social unrest. He first performed it on May 22, 1926, at a provincial conference in Krishnanagar, after which the lyrics were published in the magazine Bangabani. Later that year, Nazrul performed the piece during the annual session of the Muslim Sahitya Samaj in Dhaka, and its musical notation was published in the journal Kali O Kalam in September 1926.
Saturday’s commemorative program honored the literary legacies of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Sukanta Bhattacharya. Performances highlighted Nazrul’s revolutionary spirit, the protest-oriented compositions of Sukanta, and Tagore’s patriotic works. The program also featured recitations by children and adolescents, celebrating the enduring relevance of these literary figures.
Manjar Chowdhury Sweet, general secretary of the organizing committee, noted that the message of unity and humanity embodied in “Kandari Hushiar” remains critical in the face of contemporary communal divisions and intolerance. He emphasized that the event was designed specifically to transmit these values to the younger generation.
0%
0%
0%
0%
