Preserving Nazrul's works

The Institute was founded in 1972, when Bangobandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman brought the ailing Nazrul from Kolkata to be settled in Dhaka. According to Shikdar, "Former President Ziaur Rahman, who patronised Nazrul Institute, wanted more research on Nazrul's life and work. There was need for discussions and seminars on the National Poet. Books, tapes, CDs on his work had also to be arranged and catalogued. His songs and poems need to be made more popular. Awards should be given to those who have done unusual work on Nazrul.

"The Institute seeks to preserve and spread Nazrul's songs and literature. Before Ziaur Rahman could establish the Institute in a full-fledged manner, he passed away. However, the work that he had begun was continued. In 1985 the Institute was fully established, and the trustee board's first chairman was one of Nazrul's friends Mohammed Nasiruddin, the editor of Saugat ,while Mohammed Mahfuzullah was the executive director."

Up to the present, Shikdar says, they have preserved and brought together about 2,000 old gramophone records of Nazrul songs. Here training is given in the most perfect way of rendering Nazrul songs. Best known among the teachers are Sohrab Hossain, Shudhin Das, Ferdousi Rahman and Ahsan Morshed. Today there are about 500 trained Nazrul singers, Shikdar adds. There is a library in which books on Nazrul have been preserved for study. In 1999, Kobi Bhaban was an extension of the museum.

However, when Nazrul was taken for treatment to PG Hospital, most of his possessions were removed. No one could trace these items. In the museum are some old framed photographs and manuscripts. There are also numerous portraits of Nazrul by well-known local artists. "The museum is not impressive currently due to lack of fund and initiative," says Shikdar. In the Nazrul collection there are 300 research works, cassettes, CDs and books on musical notes.

The Nazrul Institute is trying to increase its volume of work such as improving the printing and publishing of his writings. There are also efforts to increase the opportunities for recitation of Nazrul's poems, Shafi Kamal, Nasim Ahmed and Bhashwar Bandopadhyay being responsible for this among others. The Institute is also trying to arrange a tour of places associated with Nazrul's life such as Mymensingh, Comilla and Daulatpur. Simultaneously it aims to arrange a conference of Nazrul singers and experts on his writings. The organisation also hopes to revive and regularise the Nazrul Award.