Literature-Critique

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18 to write against Pakistani atrocities. However, their exposition was sheltered under myths and symbols. Finally East Bengal torn out of Pakistani rule in 1971 but in 1975, a reactionary military insurrection brought the country back to a revival of the ideological darkness that the nation witnessed during its Pakistani regime. So the struggle for liberation continued till the 1990s in this ‘liberated’ Bangladesh. As a result the literature of independence movement lasted since 1960 till 1990 before it was overshadowed by the latest artistic concept - Postmodernism. East Bengal and its capital Dhaka became the centre of Bangla literature. The writers of West Bengal, who were influenced by the leftist Nakshal movement, were undermined. We can trace the beginning of the period with Shamsur Rahman’s poetic collection Prothom Gan Dwitio Mrityur Aagey (1960). Showkat Osman’s Kritadasher Hashi (1962) was a milestone in this time’s fictional literature. Also his Janani (1958) is a widely acclaimed novel. Shamsur Rahman, Shankha Ghosh (b. 1932), Samir Roy Chowdhury (b. 1933), Sakti Chattopadhyay (1933-’95), Sunil Gangopadhyay (1934-2012), Binoy Mazumder (1934-2006), Al Mahmud (b. 1936), Shaheed Kadori, Sikder Aminul Haq (1942-2003), Amitabha Gupta (b. 1947), Khandakar Ashraf Hossain (1950-2013), Joy Goswami (b. 1954) are chief poets of the age. Among them, Rahman and Kadori have written brilliant political poems. And Mahmud has created a new diction of modern poetry. His poems have rural setting, are rich in rural words and yet uphold modern consciousness. Unfortunately since the 1980s he leaned toward fundamentalism and thus a poetic style of high possibilities met its end before full bloom. The war of 1971 has also been portrayed in contemporary fiction-writers’ works. Some of these writers are Abu Zafar Shamsuddin (1911-’88), Showkat Osman, Rashid Karim (1925-2011), Alauddin Al Azad (1932-2009), Syed Shamsul Haq (b. 1935), Hasan Azizul Haq (b. 1939), Mahmudul Haq (1941-2008), Akhtaruzzaman Elias (1943-’97), Humayun Azad (1947-2004), Selina Hossain (b. 1947), Humayun Ahmed (1948-2012) and Imdadul Haq Milon (b. 1955). Among them, Mahmudul Haq was a master of language and epitomized the war and contemporary life in diction of modern poetry. His Anur Pathshala (1973), Nirapad Tandra (1974), Jiban Amar Bone (1976), Khelaghar (1988), Kalo Baraf (1992) are great novels. But in fact Elias occupies the top position of the age with his two outstanding novels Chilekothar Sepai (1986) and Khoabnama (1996). It was not only an age of political liberation but also of a cultural war for achieving freedom from rigid conventions of Bengali society, especially in its attitude toward sex; for example – the avant-garde Hungryalist movement took place in the 1960s, with which Samir Roy Chowdhury, his brother Malay Roy Chowdhury (b. 1939), Sakti Chattopadhyay and some other writers were involved. This period also witnessed the rise of homosexuality in fiction; for example – in Buddhadev Guha’s (b. 1936) works. It was accompanied with a great struggle against the emerging fundamentalism in Pakistan-ruled East Bengal. Especially Syed Waliullah (1922- ’71) will be remembered for his critical views about fundamentalist ideologies. His
19 Lalshalu (1948) achieved worldly acclaim. Showkat Osman was his ideological comrade. Also a new trend of historical novels illumined our dark past in this age. Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay (1899-1970), Pramathnath Bishi (1902-’85), Bimal Mitra (1912-’91), Amiyabhushan Mazumder (1918-2000), Sunil Gangopadhyay, Showkat Ali (b. 1936) and some others have written historical novels. Sunil’s Shei Samay (1982), Purba-Paschim (1988) and Prothom Alo (1996,’97) have given him a distinctive position in this field. Bimal’s Saheb Bibi Golam (1953) and Kori Diey Kinlam (1962), Pramathanath’s Carey Saheber Munshi (1958), Amiyabhushan’s Nayantara (1966) and Rajnagar (1984), Showkat’s Prodoshe Prakritajan (1984) too are brilliant historical novels. Abu Rushd (1919-2010), Bimal Kar (b. 1921), Ramapada Chowdhury (b. 1922), Samaresh Basu (1924-’88), Mahasweta Devi (b. 1926), Shamsuddin Abul Kalam (1926-’97), Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay (b. 1935), Ahmad Sofa (1943-2001), Samaresh Mazumder (b. 1944) are other class fictionists. Mahasweta is a Marxist writer and she writes on various political issues. Her Hazar Churashir Ma (1974) is a famous novel on the Nakshal movement. Dwijen Sharma (b. 1929) is an out-of-the-way writer; he has contributed to Bangla scientific literature. Badal Sarker (b. 1925), Mohitkumar Chattopadhyay (b. 1934), Barnik Roy (b. 1936) have added ‘comedy of the absurd’ to dramatic literature that have become popular nowadays. Syed Waliullah, Munir Chowdhury, Syed Shamsul Haq and Selim Al-Deen (1949-2008) are important playwrights from East Bengal. Krishna Dhar (b. 1928) and Manoj Mitra (b. 1938) are other famous playwrights. Ahmad Sharif (1921-’99), Badaruddin Omar (b. 1931), Sirajul Islam Chowdhury (b. 1936), Golam Murshid (b. 1940), Humayun Azad and some others have made bright signs of intellect through their essay literatures. The Postmodern Age (Since 1990) In the 20 th century, the society and especially family became more and more disintegrated. Alienation gripped the society and frustration became an inseparable part of man’s life. Empathies and other humanistic values slowly diminished. The inhuman brutalities during the two world wars shattered all previous norms of civilization, which now seemed meaningless. Life gradually lost all its nobleness. The new philosophers and artists bore anguish against this meaninglessness of human existence in the core of their heart. The dictum of the Enlightenment failed resulting in emergence of the new artistic idea Postmodernism. The concept of Postmodernism is indebted to the western thinkers Jacques Lacan (1901-’81), Jean-Francois Lyotard (1924-’98), Michel Foucault (1926-’84) and especially Jacques Derrida (1930-2004). Based on Derrida’s deconstructionist philosophy, it has in fact, given birth to a typical kind of absurd art – devoid of reason and remarkably dehumanized. It denies all grand narratives and opposes all notions of modernity.
Page 1 and 2: Bangla Literature: A Critical Overv
Page 3 and 4: 3 By that time, Buddhism was in the
Page 5 and 6: 5 not flourish here. Krittibas’s
Page 7 and 8: 7 Chaitanya’s era as the mystic f
Page 9 and 10: 9 slowly merging. Even after the Ba
Page 11 and 12: 11 ’85) and Piarichand Mitra (181
Page 13 and 14: 13 were two late representatives of
Page 15 and 16: 15 Panju Shah (1851?-1914) and Haso
Page 17: 17 Panchagram (1943), Hashuli Banke
Page 21 and 22: 21 3 Great Bengali Writers Jayadeva
Page 23 and 24: 23 lovers’ pains. According to hi
Page 25 and 26: 25 This poem is a reflection of the
Page 27 and 28: 27 Bengali critics, his supremacy a
Page 29 and 30: 29 love with each other. A Pathan p
Page 31 and 32: 31 found in very few writers of the
Page 33 and 34: 33 catastrophe of another part of t
Page 35 and 36: 35 “Monihara” is the story of M
Page 37 and 38: 37 Saratchandra Chattopadhyay (1876
Page 39 and 40: 39 agitation against the injustice
Page 41 and 42: 41 Bishnu’s world-view is not con
Page 43 and 44: 43 nationalist movement. His moveme
Page 45 and 46: 45 Is free of weariness And that is
Page 47 and 48: 47 own queen. Thus he deprives the
Page 49 and 50: 49 Michael, Bankim, Dinabandhu, Kal
Page 51 and 52: 51 comprehension of the deep crises
Page 53 and 54: 53 As a fictionist, Elias was a goo
Page 55 and 56: 55 Literature is not for just enter
Page 57: 57 • Sen, Sukumar. Islami Bangla

Literature-Critique

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