DHAKA: October 22 this year is being marked as the 63rd death anniversary of Jibanananda Das, a Bengali poet, writer, novelist and essayist. 

Jibanananda is popularly dubbed as ‘Ruposhi Banglar Kabi, roughly translated as ‘The poet of Beautiful Bengal’.

On occasion of his death anniversary, popular social media platform—Facebbok was seen flooding with remembering posts by the connoisseurs and Bangla poetry lovers especially the youths. Major news websites and dailies made headlines.

He was born on 17 February 1899 in Barisal district of Bangladesh, and died on 18 October 1954 in Kolkata. 

The poet obtained his BA honors degree in English literature in 1919 and MA in 1921 from the Presidency College in Kolkata. 

He used to write poems while in his teens. His first poem ‘Varsa Abahan’ was published in the Brahmabadi in 1919. His first essay was written in lucid Bangla in remembrance of late Kalimohan Das.  

The name Jibanananda means ‘joy of life’ or ‘joy in life’. On the contrary, this Bengali poet’s life is synonymous with depression.  Throughout his life, Jibanananda suffered failure, unemployment, and harsh criticism.   

Jibanananda Das has been called a poet of nature. Jibanananda's poems of rural Bengal played an important role in the political and cultural perspective of Bangladesh. His poems inspired a pride in Bengali nationhood, especially in the 1960s and during the war of liberation in 1971.

In his books Dhusar Pandulipi (1936), Banalata Sen (1942), Mahaprithivi (1944), Sat-ti Tarar Timir (1948), Bela Abela Kalbela (1980) and Ruposi Bangla (1984), he created a poetic style and language that helped him in giving a new genre in the trend of modern Bangla poetry. 

In October 14, 1954, he fell victim of train accident and sustained injuries in his throat, thigh and chest bone. 

He was admitted to Shamvunath Pundit Hospital in Kolkata where he was infected with Pneumonia and died at the midnight of October 22.

BDST: 1420 HRS, OCT 22, 2017
AH/SI/SMS