Nazrul Academy

Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam is an ever memorable epoch-maker of the Bengali literature. He is the noble artist of our national literature, music and culture and this great poet is indeed the symbol of our human feeling. The Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh established the Nazrul Institute in February, 1985 in accordance with the Nazrul Institute Ordinance 12 June 1984 at the ‘Kabibhaban’ (Road 28, House 330-B, Dhanmondi, Dhaka), a house connected with the ever living memory of the poet, with a view to preserving his immortal achievements, conducting research on his life, literature, music and his contribution in different fields, collecting his writings preserving and publication of his writings and its circulation and highlighting his image home and abroad properly.

Justice Abdul Moudud and Talim Hossain were elected president and secretary respectively. Khan-E-Sabur was at one time the chief patron of the Academy. In this initiative, the main purpose was to eshtablish Nazrul Islam as an Islamist poet and activist. On 24 May 1968 at the Engineers’ Institute, Dhaka, Kazi Anwarul Haq, Education Minister of Pakistan, formally inaugurated Nazrul Academy. The Chairman of the Nazrul Academy, Justice Abdul Moudud, presided over the meeting. The Academy was established with three primary objectives: (i) to highlight the role of Nazrul as a modern and progressive ideologies in consistency with the ideology of Pakistan, and (iii) to express solidarity with Pakistani culture and to develop it through Muslim traditions.

After the official formation of the executive committee in August 1967, a two-storied building, located at 117 Outer Circular Road, was hired for the Academy. It started implementing its programmes with a donation of about rupees fifteen thousand. Khan-e-Sabur, Communication Minister of Pakistan, took the initiative of raising the sum from private individuals and institutions. Within a few months, the government approved an annual grant of rupees twenty-five thousand to the Academy. In May 1968, Nazrul Jayanti (Nazrul’s birthday) was observed along with the official inauguration ceremony. Under the auspices of the Academy, a ceremony on the birth anniversary of the poet was held at Darirampur. Principal Ibrahim Khan presided over the function. Under the initiative of the Academy, a hamd-nat jalsha was held at the Engineers’ Institute, Dhaka, on 1 July 1968. In addition to Nazrul Jayanti, the Academy observed other national ceremonies including the birth and death anniversaries of Rabindranath Tagore. The Academy also started to collect songs, and write and publish notations.

After its formal inauguration in 1967, the Academy started two educational institutions: a kindergarten school and a music school All artists who sing Nazrul songs are attached to this music school. The Academy started publishing a journal, shortly after its inception called Nazrul Academy Patrika. Twelve volumes of the journal were published till 1971. In addition to research papers on Nazrul, the journal also included research articles on national literature and culture. The journal is still being published, though it has become irregular now. The cultural activities of the Academy are now mainly confined to giving music lessons. However, the collection of valuable documents, gramophone records, songs and notations is continuing. Some of these works are published periodically.

[Written by: Mohammad Abdul Hye]

Type: Educational

Contributed By: Nayeem

Brief

How to go

How To Reach: Dhaka City

Where to Stay

Eating Facilities

Travel Tips

Map

Similar Places

Darash Bari Madrasa

Jahangirnagar University

Bir Sreshtho Mohammad Ruhul Amin Library & Museum

St Francis Xavier Girls High School