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Journey Through Bangladesh

Sylhet

Birth Centenary of a Pioneer

The 100th birth anniversary of the sub-continent's pioneer in mass songs Hemanga Biswas was observed through discussion, cultural function, lathi khela etc at his ancestral home in Habiganj district.
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Iqbal Siddiquee

The two day event began through Lathikhela while veteran cultural personality and Udichi president Kamal Lohani attended the discussion as chief guest.

Chunarughat Sahitya Sanskriti parishad president Saleh Uddin chaired while Hemanga's daughter Rangili Biswas, Habiganj Government womens' College principal Jahan Ara Begum, writer Mostafizur Rahman and Uthsab udjapon committee's central joint secretary Mofizur Rahman also dwelt on the life and works of the great artiste.

Born on 14 December of 1912 in a zaminder family at village Mirashi in Chunarughat upazila, Hemanga got into songs and literature during his early days.

After schooling at Habiganj Middle English School and George Institute in Dibrugarh, he passed matric in 1930 from Habiganj sarkari school. Biswas took admission in the MC College and soon after got in with the Swadeshi movement.

Impressed with leftist ideas during college days, he started mass songs and moved to poor especially tea labourers, marginal farmers and common men to inspire them. As a political detene he was in jail 1930. Hemanga was thrown into jail for occasions for his anti-British agitation.

In 1946 Assam Gononatyo sangha was formed with Biswas as its secretary.

In 1971, he formed a group 'mass singers' in Calcutta. Alongwith the group Biswas had a trip to Dhaka in 1981.

His popular songs include, 'Hei samal dhan ho', 'ami je dekhechhi shei desh', telengana, telengana', etc.

He also composed a number of songs and poems in the name of 'Sanchay Sen'. Hemanga wrote a number of poetry and books in both Bangla and in Asamese language. These include, 'Simanto prohori', 'fulo kuror chatal' (asamese), 'shonkho chiler gan', 'Hemanga biswaser gaan', 'Loka Sangit Samiksha', 'chin dekhey alam' etc.

Hemanga breathed his last on 22 November of 1987 in Calcutta. Still his songs speaks for the down trodden and inspire the common men.