The nation's mindshapers

Poet Sufia Kamal, Jahanara Imam

Poet Sufia Kamal was born on June 20, 1911, while Jahanara Imam breathed her last on June 26, 1999. Both of the mindshapers had immense contribution in setting up the Liberation War Museum.

The programme took place at the museum auditorium on June 24. Two of the trustees of the Liberation War Museum--Dr Sarwar Ali and actor Aly Zaker, paid tribute to the two great women of the country on behalf of the museum.

Dr Sarwar Ali narrated an incident to illustrate the tremendous impact Sufia Kamal had on the women of our country, generation after generation. He said he went to the Azimpur graveyard, where Sufia Kamal was buried, on December 6, 1999, and found an elderly lady praying beside the grave of the poet. The lady was accompanied by a young girl. After her prayer, Ali asked her if she had been any relative of the poet. The lady told him that she was not; that she came only because 'the poet did a lot for us.

' The incident has remained one ever reminding Ali of the colossal personality of poet Sufia Kamal. 'Both Sufia Kamal and Jahanara Imam held independent positions in the history of Bangladesh,' Ali said.

Aly Zaker also mentioned an incident about Jahanara Imam who is best known for her excellent account of our Liberation War in the book Ekattorer Dinguli and her leadership in demanding trial of the collaborators of the war. Never a political figure, she helped organise the Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee (a committee to eliminate traitors and collaborators) in 1992. To make people aware of the evil deeds of the collaborators in 1971, she set up the 'Gana-Adalat' (people's court) asking for the people's verdict against traitors. Aly Zaker was among the 24 intellectuals and cultural personalities who attended the trial as one of the witnesses.

Zaker confessed at the programme that he had earlier been a little reluctant to go there. On the previous night of that event, Jahanara Imam called him on the phone and asked him not to miss Gana-Adalat. 'She ordered me to attend the trial,' said Zaker, 'and I didn't dare to disobey her order.' He referred to a paragraph in a sub-editorial written by eminent Wahidul Haque, published in the Daily Bhorer Kagoj on June 24, 2004, to portray the character of Sufia Kamal. Wahidul Haque termed her as an activist of 'humanisation' at a time when the world was undergoing 'patriarchisation'.

After the discussion, poet Rabiul Hussain recited his poems, Ekaler Batobrikkha and Byathito Ek Roktakto Potaka, dedicated to Sufia Kamal and Jahanara Imam. Poet Mahadeb Saha read and dedicated his poem Pratoshsharonia, originally dedicated to Sufia Kamal, in memory of both the women of enlightenment. Besides recitation performer Belayet Hossain recited poems Mamoni written by Sufia's youngest son Sajed Kamal, and Shahid Jananike Nibedito Panktimala of Shamsur Rahman.

Finally Mita Haque sang a few songs including Chiroshakha hey, Chokher aloy dekhechhilem, Badal dinero prothomo kadomo phul, Megher koley koley.