Feature

Sagardari Village & Michael Madhusudan Dutt

Kazi Ahmed Farhan

Michael Madhusudan Dutt was one of the great poets of Bengal. He was born on 1824 in the village of Sagardari in Jessore. He was a famous 19th century Bengali poet and dramatist. From an early age, Madhusudan desired to be an Englishman in form and manner. Born to a Hindu landowner family, he converted to Christianity to the ire of his family and adopted the first name, Michael. Madhusudan is widely considered one of the greatest poets in Bengali literature and the father of Bangla Sonnet. He pioneered what came to be called Amitrakhor Chhondo (Unrhyming Rhythm, similar to Spenserian Sonnet in structure). He was a gifted with linguist and polyglot. Besides Indian languages like Bengali, Sanskrit and Tamil, he was well versed in classical languages like Greek and Latin. He also had a fluent understanding of modern European Languages like Italian and French and could read and write the last two with perfect grace and ease.

In January 2008, I got the opportunity to visit the paternal home of Michael Madhusudan Dutt in Sagardari village. When I reached the place, I found the whole premises clean and well maintained.

I went around the entire area where Madhusudan was born and brought up. After that, I saw the mondop where Goddess Durga was worshiped.

The Bangladesh government has taken the initiative to relive the memory of Madhusudan. Several private organisations have also come forward to assist the government in this regard. They have opened Madhusudan Academy and the Madhusudan Museum to attract more tourists here. After that I went to see the Kopotakhkho Nod (river). But it has changed so much that it is impossible to identify it as a river. Proper measures should be taken to save the river as well as maintain the whole area and infrastructure to attract more tourists to the place.

(MBA 8th batch
Department of Marketing, DU
kazi.ahmed.farhan@gmail.com)