Hasina pokes fun at Ershad poems

She said even a military dictator had tried his hand at poetry under the influence of nature’s beauty.

Speaking at the inaugural session of SAARC Literature Festival in Dhaka on Thursday, the Prime Minister said: “Bangladesh is a country of wonderful natural beauty. One devoid of poetical talent can be poet here; one without the talent of a writer can be a writer.”

File Photo

File Photo

“There is hardly anyone in this country who does not write a poem during one’s student life. The influence of nature is so strong that even a military dictator becomes a poet. He starts writing poems.”

Of the two military dictators in the country – General Ziaur Rahman and General HM Ershad – the latter has fame as a poet.

Ershad is now the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister.

Ershad’s Political and Press Secretary Sunil Shuvo Roy told bdnews24.com that the former dictator had 11 books to his credit.

The books include ‘Kanak Pradip Jalo’, ‘Karagarer Nisongo Dingulo’, ‘Jibon O Sandhya Tara’, ‘Ek Prithibi Agami Diner Jonno’, ‘Nabanne Sukher Ghran’, ‘Itihasher Matir Dhela Chitra’ and ‘Kabita Samagra’.

Asked if any book by Ersahd had been released in this year’s Ekushey Book Fair, Roy said, ‘No’.

He, however, said: “His old books are selling now.”

A Jatiya Party leader told bdnews24.com that Ershad’s writing practice was being affected by several issues now.

Source: Bd news24