An elegy on Bangabandhu, August tragedy and after

I am not a writer or a poet but wrote these few lines for my friend Bangabandhu Mujib in memory of his homecoming day.   I will keep my eyes open until I die to see triumph return of my friend I will keep my ears on the air if I can hear him again Jesus went unto cross to show the light to his disciple Mujib took bullets into his wide chest to save his people Ceaseless tears fathom How millions of red rose's blossoms A fearless warrior's death Is only path to come back.   Friends, as I was browsing the web I stumbled upon one Dr. Nasir's posting which I copied below. Reading a wonderful piece of poetry written by Urdu poet, Mir Gul Khan Nasir I wonder how great was the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who touched the hearts and minds of so many people home and abroad alike. Thanks, Shamim Chowdhury Maryland, U.S.A. Dr. Rashid Askari Saturday, August 27th, 2011 The great Urdu poet, Mir Gul Khan Nasir (1914-1983), popularly known as 'People's poet of Baluchistan' wrote a wonderful elegy on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He wrote it at the Central Jail Mach on 29 August, 1975 just fourteen days after Mujib's assassination. A good many poems have been written on Mujib at home and abroad  before and after his death, but I don't know, if such a brilliant poem on his dastardly killing, which leads to a wholesale socio-political and cultural damage in Bangladesh, has been written by anybody else. It is a highly passionate and meaningful piece of poetry whose elegiac tone turns into a rock-solid promise to fight the enemies of the motherland. In a few verses, the great poetic genius tells the tragic story of a national hero who gave his people their long-cherished independence from the chains and shackles of a petty imperial rule, and was ruthlessly killed by some infamous army personnel who were the slaves of their foreign masters, and danced to their tune. In sooth, revolution devours its own children! Nasir's poem on Mujib's killing and its consequences are tremendously relevant to us until now. I feel tempted to introduce the readers to this unique piece of poetry. It was originally written in Urdu. But for the convenience of a wider readership, I have done a translation of the poem in English. I know the poem has lost its real appeal in translation, but still we can have the feel of the August tragedy to it. "Shouts, cries, and hasty calls The sightless crowd rejoice They call it 'dawn', but as I look at life The dark, black night  in full The lighting strikes and a mute thunder It seems it's pouring far away But the smell of rain doesn't pass through the air Rather, the blood is moving up in a ditch O fools! Where's the brilliant morn? The angry night is still in here Yazid-like imperialists are still crushing the bones of the brave patriots In populous and picturesque Bangladesh Once again, a storm of blood is rising Once again, the brokers of imperialism Are setting fire to towns and villages Mujib, the great patriot Sprawled on the ground in the pool of his own blood Clad by the hateful slaves of imperialism In a red coat decked with bullets The accursed agents of imperialism have waged genocide But then again, it's the story of Hussain against Yazid O courageous comrades! Beware of Yazid If you unite they lose The mouth (they speak through) is theirs But the tongue in it is of the imperialists They're failed, for their pockets are full of money And to their aid come the imperialists and (their) platoons To kill the brave patriots They're given men and weapons There's no mercy in the hearts of these cowards It's they for whom the world is dark They don't let the flame of freedom burn Blow it out when found alight Mujib, the fearless friend of Bangladesh In the firing squad with family And again, the flag of freedom is flown at half mast The imperialists are back to their old tricks and treachery Once more, conflicts are cleared up by the gun Again, the  Land of Gold is on fire O brave friends! It's how time drives us The same way, my motherland (Baluchistan) is also burning Don't get afraid, O Warriors! Don't stop Even though the path is rugged and full of thorns Mujib's blood shall, by no means, go in vain It's just a test of the firmness of the patriots It won't last; this night of terror won't be long Even though it's at times dark and foggy Nasir sees clearly, with his heart / The victory-flag is flying in the wind./" The poet rightly observes that the cowardly killing of the captain of our Independence has cast a shadow over our joy of freedom. What the ignorant people think morning is actually night. And this darkness of night is caused by the loss of the Father, and thereby the loss of the liberation ideals (Bengali nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism) vindicated by the Constitution of 1972. The poet, however, warns us of the fact that our national journey towards democracy and secularism may sometimes be jeopardised by neo-colonial forces and armed intervention, but at the end of the tunnel there must be light. He tries to inject a deep sense of awareness and protest into the poem. It concludes with a note of hope that the 'night of terror' would be over. The sacrifice of leaders like Mujib will not go in vain. Dr. Rashid Askari teaches English literature at Kushtia Islamic University. E-mail:rashidaskari65@yahoo.com

__._,_.___