Just before 21st February, he was suddenly diagnosed with hydrops. He composed a long poem while lying in bed that night after receiving the news of a student killing in Dhaka. It was printed overnight and aired the next day.
What was this poem and who was the poet?
The poem is known as “Kadte Ashini, Fashir Dabi Niye Eshechi”(Haven’t come to mourn, rather to demand for justice) and the poet was Mahbul-ul-Alam Chowdhury who was not only a dedicated activist of the language movement and convener of the State Language Struggle Council, Chattogram but also secretary of the All-Party Struggle Council, Chattogram.21 February 1952 has created a distinct genre in Bangla literary canon called Ekushey Sahitya and this poem initiated this genre.
He was so overcome with emotion that he ignored his physical state and reached for a pen and paper so he could write something. However, due to his high temperature, he was unable to write anything himself because his hands were shaking. Thus, after he spoke, a committed Marxist political activist by the name of Nanidhar noted his remarks on paper. This is how stronger than a thousand bullets, Ekushey’s debut poem, was written. Before it was made public, Pakistani government intelligence moved quickly to confiscate the poem. However, the police operation was thwarted by journalists’ efforts. The poem was recited when it was published on February 23.
The poem shook the Pakistani government and they banned the poem and issued a warrant against the poet and others related to the poem.Due to the ban , the poem was lost from public view for a long time. It is a matter of deep regret that the original form of this great historical poem has not been published by the Bangla Academy even today.
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Writer
Afsana Khanom Monika
Intern,
Content Writing Department
YSSE