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Short stories project political history of the nation

5 March 2004, 18:00 PM
LIFESTYLE
By Novera Deepita
5 March 2004, 18:00 PM
Ata Sarkar
Ata Sarkar's stories have a distinctive character in the form of a hesitation as to what to write and what not to. This hesitation, however, works as a blessing for writers--it has blessed Ata too', Al Mahmud, one of the most celebrated poets of the country, said at the launching ceremony of a story-book by Ata Sarkar at the National Press Club last Thursday. Centre for Bangladesh Culture launched the bookNirbachito Golpo O Annyano(Selected Stories and Others) in presence of a number of celebrated literary personalities.

Born in 1952, Ata Sarkar has practised journalism for eleven years in many dailies and weeklies of the country including the Daily Azad, Daily Desh, the weeklies Chashi, Deshbani and Shanghati. Besides he has written several books among which Titur Lethel, Apan Larai, Ekoda Ananga Bou and Chardik Brishti are notable ones.

In the keynote paper on Ata's stories presented at the programme, Aminur Rahman Sultan analyses the characteristics and elaborately discusses the content of the stories. According to Sultan, 'The author has sketched the reality of the contemporary life of human beings in his stories. He has elaborated the time of the mass upsurge against the military rulers of Pakistan in1969. The stories like Bakultolay Bhor, Agun-Jwala-Desh-Gaon, Kotipoy Bipojjanak Khela Shomporke Report, Corneler Stri, Aloukik Mundu and Juddha Jibon illustrate these characteristics and themes of the struggling Bangalis.

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Sultan's analysis points out that the guiding principles of a character are revealed by Ata when he portrays his characters. 'These ideals are sometimes positive, sometimes negative. It depends on the character how it has been developed or projected in the story,' mentions Sultan. He also adds that Ata's style of story-telling is very spontaneous, not monotonous at all. The style is also interesting and will attract readers.

Popular writer Imdadul Haque Milon said, 'Ata Sarkar has been able to foresee the future of Bangladesh in his stories, although he lives very much amongst us. This foresight is not something very common.'

Discussant Jharna Rahman said, 'The language of these stories is very precise and faultless. Small sentences have a tortuous style that is very appreciable.'

Among others Ahmed Musa, Shushanto Majumdar, Dr Mahbub Hassan, Masud Majumdar, poets Belal Chowdhury, Al Mujahidi and Tridib Dostidar, Gausur Rahman, Zubaida Gulshan Ara, and the author Ata Sarkar spoke on the occasion.

All the speakers expressed thin deep regret at the brutal attack on Professor Humayun Azad.