Speakers, including poets and academics, at a seminar said on Wednesday that readers needed political understanding to read poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah鈥檚 poems.
The event was organised by Bangla Academy to mark the 68th anniversary of the birth of the poet.
The seminar titled 鈥楴atun Rajdhanir Kobi Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah鈥� was held at the academy in Dhaka.
Poet Shakhawat Tipu presented the keynote paper at the seminar while poet Mohon Raihan and Rudra Smriti Samsad president Sumel Sarafat spoke at the event.
Professor Mohammad Azam, director general of the academy, presided over the seminar.
鈥楻udra鈥檚 first collection of poems depicts urban cities as lifeless in the style of modern poetry,鈥� Shakhawat Tipu said, adding that his poems turned into slogans as he incorporated contemporary political issues in his poems.
Due to fragmented readings of Rudra鈥檚 works by different political parties, the poet remains still undiscovered as a poet, Sumel Sarafat said, adding that Rudra was a cultural activist and organiser of different cultural movements of the country.
Rudra was one of the main poets of the 70s, poet Mohon Raihan said, adding, 鈥楾he state never valued him as it does not evaluate any independent poets and artists. Rudra has proved that poets live in a society and fight in the political arena.鈥�
Rudra was a prominent cultural activist in his time, Mohammad Azam said, adding, 鈥楻eaders need political understanding to read poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah鈥檚 poems. He wrote poems about love and rebellion.鈥櫬�
