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Book Review

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It is a pride of performance on the part of the authorities in Bangladesh Bank to initiate a noble task of celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore by publishing an excellent book containing various articles on Rabindranath Tagore compiled and edited well by Mr. Mahfuzur Rahman, the executive director of the Bangladesh Bank.
The Governor of the Bangladesh Bank Dr. Atiur Rahman has very adeptly elaborated a preface to this book eulogising various literary works of Tagore that included poet's biographic sketch in brief. It has graced the book meticulously. It has also been ornamental with fruitions illumined and praiseworthy overall.
It is obviously true that none can measure the vastness of the sky. Similarly, one cannot count cells that make a man. That is Creator's magnificence limits our knowledge. Dr. Atiur Rahman being the sophisticated banker discerns in the preface the limits of poet laureate Tagore towards his financial managements. The poet had his idea to develop humanitarian trends as far as practicable on his part for the benefit of all in society equally without moral and material distinctions. Here he identified himself also as saying,
 "…let me be noted in my name
that I am your man.
Nothing more than
  last identity remains same."
We talk much of Bangalitwa in our vain oratory and write-up but in practice we neither follow the ideals of Rabindranath nor do we follow Nazrul. Thanks Mostafa Nurul Islam for his introductory article, "Rabindranather Bangladesh" We got a lot of inspirations from both the poets towards our political and economic independence. But what are our achievements after so many years of liberation of Bangladesh? Should we cry out with that adage, "Empty vessel sounds much?"  "Golden Bangla for whom?"-cry out poverty-stricken teeming millions of Bangalees till now! Is that our Bangalitwa?
Every writer who contributed articles on Tagore in this book is noted and  his/her appreciations are worth mentioning. The readers will find our great poet invigorated with new life here on his over century old birth-anniversary at the touch of marry  noble writers of Bangladesh. "We cannot leave aside anything worth of life/However neglected in dust, of human type."
Is Rabindranath Tagore ever accompanying with us? The question is really very significant because his literature and song we bear in our mind those of us who learnt him to some extent but we cannot say that he is ever accompanying with the masses of uneducated people who have not read him. He cannot claim to have been reached to the people of all categories in society. As a matter of fact, we are happy to hear flattery that Tagore never desires. According to him, " …My poems rhyme many a ways but I know those are yet to reach everywhere…" (Oikotan, 21.1.1941).
Illustrations of art works and family photos of Tagore are commendable as additional graces of the book. The book deserves wide publicity and circulation.
Bangalir Chirosangi Rabindranath : A publication celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore by the Bangladesh Bank. Edited by Mahfuzur Rahman. Date of publication: 26th November 2011. Cover design by Samar Majumder.

Reviewed by M.Mizanur Rahman