Large pavilions; great authors not respected

Poet Russell Ashequi has been immersed in the world of poetry for almost three decades, starting his journey amidst the turmoil of the anti-autocracy movement in the 1990s. Recently, he has embarked on a self-reflective journey in crafting an epic poem. Apart from poetry, he also writes novels, short stories, plays, and songs. Let's delve into his thoughts on literature and his connection with the cultural landscape of Bangladesh through an interview conducted by Kamrul Ahsan.

Views Bangladesh: Views Bangladesh extends its greetings to you.
Russell Ashequi: Greetings from me as well. From what I've seen, Views Bangladesh is doing well. It has already made a name for itself as a new portal.

Views Bangladesh: What books have you published at this year's book fair?
Russell Ashequi : The first volume of my epic series has been released - "Where will I write the epic of Bangabandhu?"

Views Bangladesh: What does the epic series entail?
Russell Ashequi : We know that an epic is a huge work. It takes a lot of time and effort to write an epic. I'm writing it as a series. This epic will encompass the thoughts, culture, wisdom, and spirit of the Bengali nation over thousands of years. I want to release it in small segments so that people can easily read it. It will conclude with 11 parts and then be published in its entirety as a complete epic.

Views Bangladesh: Why did you start with Bangabandhu in the first volume?
Russell Ashequi : This epic begins with Bangabandhu's tragedy at its core. Typically, tragedies mark the culmination in other epics, but mine commences with a tragedy. This tragedy is a lesson from our nation's life. If someone works for humanity, for the nation, they might even sacrifice their life. Through Bangabandhu's sacrifice, a new generation was born, a new class emerged. We have received a new nation as a gift. Through this tragedy, we have witnessed various types of losses, massive losses indeed. National losses, cultural losses. What is our lesson from these losses? We must rebuild our nation. Beautify it. Who will do it? Those of us who reside in this land. Countless characters have been created from this spirit. These characters are dynamic. It is around this theme that I have composed this epic.

Views Bangladesh: Why are you writing this epic?
Russell Ashequi : A great nation is not formed without an epic. Poets show the way, and politicians implement it. If Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam hadn't been born, Bangabandhu wouldn't have been born either. With its vast population, this country holds immense potential. We need to transform the population into assets. We need to show the nation dreams because nothing big happens without big dreams. I am writing this epic to show this nation dreams.

Views Bangladesh: How many poetry books have you published so far?
Russell Ashequi : 21. Among them are "I have come back as a lover", "The book-girl male", "Red horse blue horse", "Land of love", "There is no path without love", "One speech one country", "The seal of love".

Views Bangladesh: Besides poetry, what else do you write?
Rasel Aashiqi: Apart from poetry, I write songs, stories, dramas, and novels. My stories and novels have also been adapted into dramas.

Views Bangladesh: We'd like to know a bit about the beginning of your writing journey.
Russell Ashequi: My journey as a writer began amidst the upheaval of the 1990s. In 1988, I was a Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinee, but I couldn't sit for the exams. I was a student at Dhaka College. In my district, I was one of the most promising students. On the day before the exam, we were removed from the halls by Ershad's forces. It was quite distressing for me to be stranded in Dhaka city. I had no relatives in Dhaka. I spent the night in a market. That year, I couldn't take the exams anymore. When I went to sit for the exams, I felt dizzy. That's when I took an oath that I wouldn't study anymore if the autocratic government didn't fall. Inspired by poets like Shamsur Rahman and Sufia Kamal, I joined the movement. During that time, I wrote a lengthy poem titled "Bidagdho Manchitro" (Distressed Map). It took me six months to write that poem. As much as I wrote, I recited it on stage. I finished writing the poem on December 1, 1990, and told poet Shamsur Rahman that my poem was complete, and now Ershad's downfall would happen. Exactly five days later, on December 6, Ershad fell from power. After Ershad's downfall, in front of millions of people at the Central Shaheed Minar, I recited this poem at TSC.

Views Bangladesh: What is the main inspiration behind your writing?
Russell Ashequi: The inner inspiration is the greatest inspiration. The betterment of humanity is the purpose of my writing. Constant struggle for the people is the power of my pen.

Views Bangladesh: Throughout these years of writing, what are the places of satisfaction, frustration, or resentment?
Rasel Aashiqi: There is no place for frustration, resentment, or satisfaction here. There is only love here. Without love, there is no place for anything. Writing is a subject of great struggle. It cannot be done without love. The love I have for humanity is what drives my writing. How much I can give is my concern. What others give me is not a big deal.

Views Bangladesh: Do you think you have your own readership?
Russell Ashequi: Certainly, I have. The further I have gone, the further my readers have gone with me. Brave people have been created along the way. Once upon a time, thousands of copies of my books were sold. If there were no readership, I wouldn't have lasted this long.

Views Bangladesh: The book fair is almost coming to an end. How was this year's book fair?
Russell Ashequi: Now it seems to me that the book fair is not in the creative place it used to be. Now it has turned into a commercial competition. There are big pavilions, but the presence of big authors is lacking.