Shikorer Bondhon (Binding of Root)

by Mahmuda Dewan :
Publisher: Sayeed Ahmed Anis, Kalantor Prokashani. C-31, Zakir Hossain Road, Block-E, Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207. Date of Publication 21st February, 2018. Cover: Mahmuda Dewan. Composer: Nahar Computer, Modyo Badda, Dhaka. Printing: Agami Printing and Publishing Company, Nilkhet, Dhaka. Distributer: Prokriti, Concord Emporium Basement, Katabon, Dhaka. Price: Taka 3oo/- US$ 8. UK £ 5
 Each and every creation by God on earth is root-bound. Similarly every living being is also bound by the source. This creativity on earth is perennial.
Poet Mahmuda Dewan, a member of the New York Shahitya Academy was born and brought up in Bangladesh and she went to USA in 1995 and got citizenship. Her heart’s allegiance is obviously innate to motherland Bangladesh. She has woven every line of her poem neat and clean in sweet Bengali form to soothe the heart of her readers. Her love for mother and the sense of patriotism for the country and countrymen she left seem to be above everything.
Our expatriates in different countries including U.K, USA and Middle East contributed to our Liberation War. They organised international support, raised fund, and arranged concerts for publicity of the War of Independence. Still now they have been contributing to our progress and development by their remittance. They expect that their motherland achieves the goal for which the freedom fighters and the nation as a whole sacrificed much. They dream of good days for the deprived poor, equality in the society and justice for all. Poet Mahmuda Dewan is an expatriate who feels happy when the people of Bangladesh in their united approach and endeavour march towards progress and prosperity ensuring better life for the citizens. Mahmuda Dewan’s book ‘Shikorer Bondhnon. ‘(Binding of Root) is a message in poems with a clarion call to respond to the expectation and dream. It is a matter of significance that the book has been published on the occasion of 21st February, the Martyr’s Day and the International Mother Language Day, to focus on the spirit, wherefrom the nation raised its voice and finally achieved the great Victory.
Let me translate part of her poem ‘Jonom Dukhi Ma’ (Born suffering mother!)
Oh! What an ill-fate I got
that my mother is born suffering!
Ah! The suffering of my Bangla mother
is yet to be removed!

Millions of sons and daughters are
bound by her love
at the loose end of the torn sari
but how many of them become worth of human beings?
They vowed and fought to save one flower
whereas today thousand of such flowers
are floating on the flood of blood!
…
Ill repute of her ill-breeds
would have been ever removed
from the forehead of my mother
then we would never have ill news
to be let ourselves down
before the world.
I would rather rub off mother’s tears
better getting rid ourselves from the culprits.
(Jonom Dukhi Ma p.13)
Almost each poem of this book is lyrically blended in prosaic style. The
poet appears to have been influenced by the Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam to some extent in her poetic trend. She has very honestly explored the pros and cons of our Liberation War in Bangladesh. Our struggle for freedom and its ultimate goal is yet to be achieved, that the poet cherished at heart and soul. And that’s what she has blended in her most poems in this anthology. (from page 9 to 31)
A devout Muslim, the poet has firm belief in Islamic humanitarian ethos and as such Allah, conscience, and its related matters are blended adeptly in a separate chapter in poetic verse e.g., Allah Amar Arogyodata (Allah is my curer of all diseases), Noyoner nona jol (Salt water of my eyes), Bibek monushyotter protic (Sense of impartial reasoning is the standard of humanism), Bibeker jobab (In response to reasoning of self consciousness), Kobir kachhe abedon, (Submission of prayer to the Poet), Ishara-i-jothesto, (Morning shows the day), Dhrubo Sotyo (Absolute truth). Kar gune ke chole, (Who runs at whose qualified order?), Bichar-soktir atmahuti (Lapse of justice), Sworger sudha(Nectar of heaven), Jibon (life), Jiboner dosha (The condition of life), Amar pon (My promise), Moroner Bhalobasa Jiboner jonyo (Dedicate life for death), Santi sudhakor ( peace is comparable to nectar), Bhul ba gobesona (whether wrong or research), Ovimot (Opinion), Guchhiye bolar gun (The quality of describing appropriately), Nirobotar bhasa (The language of silence), Sopnoke siksha dei (Let me teach the dream), and Nozir hoye thakbe babu, sudhate onyoke ( while asking others instances will remain there).
Hence poems of Poet Mahmuda Dewan cover human ethics and moral sense of human psychology towards the betterment of human identity in all. I wish the readers will enjoy her poems. They should go through these poems which appear to reach our heart towards the betterment of our country and its people. The printing and binding is standard and attractive. It is presentable to international readers. The poet’s planned cover represents her thoughts where picture of national figures Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Kazi Nazrul Islam, General Osmany and other pictures of importance are set in order deserving praise for artistic presentation. I don’t find any spelling mistake in this book.
Thanks to Poet Mahmuda Dewan for presenting such valued poems of life, which focus on our roots and call to raise ourselves as a prestigious and progressive nation realizing the dreams of our valiant freedom fighters. n
 – Reviewed by M Mizanur Rahman