The 113th birth anniversary of poet Begum Sufia Kamal, founding president of Bangladesh Mohila Parishad and a pioneer of Bengali women's emancipation, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow in a befitting manner.
Different socio-cultural organizations will observe the day through various programmes.
On behalf of Mohila Parishad, the leaders, secretaries and officers of the central and Dhaka city unit committees of organization will pay glowing tributes to the poet by placing wreaths at Sufia Kamal Bhaban in the city’s Segunbagicha area at 10:30 am tomorrow marking the day.
In separate messages on the eve of the birth anniversary, President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today paid rich tributes to the memory of the poet.
They also prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul of Sufia Kamal, who was one of the pioneers of all progressive, democratic and women emancipation movements in Bangladesh.
The President, in his message, said the new and future generations will be imbued with patriotism by the literary works of poet Sufia Kamal.
The head of the state said that the poet's lifestyle, ideals and literary works will be an eternal source of inspiration for new generations.
Sufia Kamal was an exemplary and bright personality of the women folk of the country, he said.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on the one hand, Sufia Kamal was a portrait of traditional Bengali women, on the other hand, she played an uncompromising and steadfast role in every movement and struggle of Bangla.
Sufia Kamal was instilled with the thoughts and ideologies of Begum Rokeya and it had a great influence on her life, she said, adding that in response to her (Sufia Kamal's) demand, the first female-dormitory of Dhaka University was named as 'Rokeya Hall'.
The Prime Minister recalled Sufia Kamal's role in the movement against ban on Tagore's songs by the Pakistani government in 1961.
The people conferred the titled 'Janani Sahasika' on Sufia Kamal for her direct involvement in different democratic movements, including language movement in 1952, mass-upsurge of 1969, non-cooperation movement and the Great Liberation War of 1971, she said.
The Awami League government built a female dormitory after the name of Sufia Kamal, the premier added.
Sheikh Hasina said Sufia Kamal’s role inspired the pro-liberation forces when the distortion of history began in the country after the assassination of the Greatest Bangalee of all time Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
The Prime Minister hoped on the 113th birth anniversary of timeless poet Sufia Kamal that her philosophy and literary works will enlighten the hearts of the readers from generation to generation.
Born on June 20, 1911 in an aristocratic and decent family, known as the Nabab family of Shayestabad in Barishal, Begum Sufia Kamal dedicated her entire life to the promotion of women liberty, progressive thinking and non-communal politics.
She was an activist of the historic Language Movement in 1952 and also played a significant role in the Great War of Liberation.
Sufia Kamal was also an excellent organizer. In 1956, she organized 'Kochi-Kachar Mela', a platform for the children, and established the Bangladesh Mohila Parishad in 1970.
Begum Sufia Kamal died in Dhaka on November 20 in 1999 and was buried at Azimpur Graveyard with full state honour.
She won over 50 awards, including "Ekushey Padak", "Swadhinata Dibash Padak", "Bangla Academy Padak", "Soviet Lenin Award", "Begum Rokeya Padak", and "Jatiya Kobita Porishad Award" for her contributions to the Bengali literature.