Shahid Qadri
| Shahid Qadri | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 August 1942 Dhaka |
| Language | Bengali |
| Notable awards | Bangla Academy Award |
Shahid Qadri (born 14 August 1942) is a Bangladeshi poet and writer.
Career
Qadri is one of the prominent poets of post-1947 Bengali poetry, who brought a new angle to the Bangladeshi scene by introducing urbanism and a sense of modernity.[1] His poetry is infused with patriotism, cosmopolitanism and universalism and in its treatment of nature and city life, it delves deep into the conflicts and the sense of alienation pervading modern life.[1] For his poetry, he was awarded Bangla Academy Award in 1973.
| "Have no fear, darling I'll have it all arranged The army will carry rose-bunches On their shoulders, March past and salute Only you, darling." |
| — I salute You, Darling, Shahid Qadri[2] |
Though he published only four books of poetry, "his tone, alliteration, images and the use of simile made him a unique contributor of Bengali verse."[3]
Qadri became friends with the great Shamsur Rahman though he was about fourteen years younger than Rahman.[4] The story of the on-going adda by these two poets at Beauty Boarding, Dhaka, in the 50's and 60's became legendary. At the age of fourteen, he was first published in Kabita, edited by Buddhadeb Bosu, who is also a major poet of the 30's; Qadri subsequently became a well-known figure among the poets of Dhaka and Kolkata.[5]
After the publication of his third book, Qadri stopped writing and started living in London and Germany. Later, in the 80's, he moved to the United States and started living in Boston, where he married his second wife, Dana Qadri; she died in the late 90s. Since then, he has returned to writing again and published his fourth book in 2009. Although it has been said that "in the last issue of Kali O Kolom [he] broke his near three decades of silence by penning two poems,"[4] he actually broke his silence by contributing to the very first issue of Shabdaguchha, a bilingual poetry journal, published in New York.[6]
His poems have been translated into English by many scholars, such as Kabir Chowdhury, Kaiser Haq, Farida Majid, and he was awarded the Bangla Academy Award in 1973.[7] Mr. Qadri also received the Ekushey Padak, the highest national award of Bangladesh, in the category of Language and Literature, in 2011.
Publications
- Uttaradhikar (Inheritance, 1967)
- Tomake Abhibadan Priyatama (Salute to You, Dearest; 1974)
- Prem Biraha Bhalobasar Kabita (Poems of Love and Separation)
- Kothayo Kono Krondon Nai (Weepings Nowhere)
- Amar Chombongullo Pouchhaya Deo (Please, Convey my kisses)
References
- 1 2 Selina Hossain, Nurul Islam, Mobarak Hossain, ed. (2000). Bangla Academy Dictionary of Writers. Dhaka: Bangla Academy. p. 167. ISBN 984-07-4052-0.
- ↑ Qadri, Shahid (1986). M. Harunur Rashid, ed. A Choice of Contemporary Verse from Bangladesh (1st ed.). Dhaka: Bangla Academy. p. 171.
- ↑ Shabdaguchha, Special Translated Issue, Issue 9, Hassanal Abdullah (editor), 2000, New York
- 1 2 "Shahid Quadri : Snapshots". The Daily Star. 5 January 2008. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ Shaheed Quaderi: Somoyer Sampanna Swar (Shaheed Quaderi:The Perfect Voice of Time), by Hassanal Abdullah Labu Bhai Foundation, Dhaka & New York, 2005
- ↑ Bidesh Bibhuya Eka, Shaheed Quaderi, Shabdaguchha, Issue 1, 1998, New York
- ↑ http://www.banglaacademy.org.bd/banglaacademy_award.php