WEB DESK
Paying glowing tributes to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on the eve of this 161st birth anniversary, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that Vishwakavi Tagore and his creations will forever inspire the Bengalis to build a non-communal Bangladesh free from exploitation and deprivation.
Calling Tagore the main representative of the Bengali consciousness, Prime Minister Hasina said his songs were a source of inspiration during the liberation war of Bangladesh. He portrayed the joys and sorrows and all the life experiences of the people of Bengal with great clarity and precision. She said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman used to draw inspiration from the works of Tagore.
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore communicated with the world by combining the pluralism of Indian culture, the non-violence of Buddhism, Sufism of Islam and the prophetic spirit of the Bauls of Bengal, said Prime Minister Hasina in her message. She said Rabindranath Tagore has become more and more relevant in the current world which is facing the rise of fundamentalism, narrow nationalism, discrimination and violence. He was a great social reformer also, said Sheikh Hasina. She said that to spread the memory of Vishwakavi Rabindranath Tagore to the new generation, the government of Bangladesh has established the Rabindra University at Shajadpur in Sirajganj.
In his message, President Abdul Hamid said that Rabindranath Tagore was the inspiration for the development of Bengali culture, the rise of Bengali nationalism and the rise of independent and sovereign Bangladesh.
Bangladesh government has drawn an elaborate programme to celebrate the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore across the country on Sunday, 8th May.