Literature: Poetry : Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam, popularly known asbidrohi kobi (Rebel poet) took the bengali literary world by storm by his poem, bidrohi or the Rebel. Probably no other single poem influenced the Bengali society and people so deeply, and this poem, alongwith many other patriotic poems and songs, inspired the freedom fighters during the struggle against the british, and also during the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971. Many regard him as the greatest poetic force in Bengali literature after world famous Rabindranath Tagore. Both Nazrul's poems and prose writing exuberate a certain force and energy, denouncing all social and religious bigotry and plurality, cultural differences and oppression as the principal reasons for national discord and disharmony. Many of his songs and poems were banned by the british administration in pre-partition India.

Nazrul also got equal prominence and popularity in writing songs, almost 3,000 of them, the largest by any Bengali poet and composing music. Many of his songs, particularly the love songs became instantly popular and are still revered. His songs are extremely romantic, lyric, appealing and rich in metaphors. All his works truthfully represent the life-style he led - the struggle of a poor childhood, his intense patriotism, and bohemian life as a poet.