What is the future of Bengali literature?

The prospect of any literature is embedded within its language. And the life of a language remains vibrant through literary discussions. However, for a language to achieve widespread recognition, it requires a strong economic flow and involvement in far-reaching political activities. Relevantly, the economic market for Bengali literature is relatively small, but the linguistic community of this language is vast. As a mother tongue, Bengali holds the fifth position in the world language rankings and is positioned seventh as a widely-used language. In the Indo-European linguistic community, more than 22 crore people speak Bengali. In this relatively small economic market, authors, publishers, and related collaborators may find it challenging to lead a comfortable lifestyle due to limited opportunities. This issue serves as another obstacle to the potential of Bengali literature. However, I do believe that our current and future generations will overcome this obstacle.

The development of the Bengali language spans over 1300 years. The Charyapad serves as the ancient evidence of the origins of our language. From the 8th century onwards, Bengali literature evolved through the vast treasury, and by the end of the 18th century, the Bengali language transformed into its present form. The Bengali script and the usage of the Bengali language exhibit minor differences in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation between Bangladesh and West Bengal. In the rejuvenation and cultural development of Bengal, Bengali nationalism played a pivotal role, particularly in the formation of Bangladesh. The Bengali language and literature have held the most significant role in shaping the identity and cultural progress of the Bengali people.

From 1947 to 1952, the Bengali Language Movement served as a catalyst for the Bengali identity. On February 21, 1952, the Language Movement bestowed upon Bengali a new life by demanding its recognition as the state language. The Bengali Language Implementation Act of 1987 has played a crucial role in expanding the use of Bengali in all national activities in Bangladesh, marking a significant success in language proliferation. Additionally, the declaration of February 21 as the International Mother Language Day by UNESCO in 1999, in recognition of the sacrifice of the Language Movement martyrs, is a matter of pride for us. But does our state run entirely in Bengali language? What language do the upper classes teach their children? By what language our high court is conducted? Is it right to create only global citizens rather than creating citizens of Bangladesh? It is a big question now.

Bangladesh ranks 112th among 138 countries in the Global Knowledge Index. Bangladesh is the lowest among South Asian countries. We know that knowledge is the lamp of life. Literature is written and read through knowledge. That's why even though our population is large, the number of readers is small. However, despite the small number of readers, the number of writers is not less compared to other languages. The increasing number of writers has both positive and negative aspects. The negative aspect is that when a large quantity of low-quality books are published, readers may become confused and turn away from literature. Therefore, it is important for the new generation to think deeply about this aspect now.

What is the future of Bengali literature? This question is not only for writers or readers, but for most Bengali speakers. Because, in the 52 years of independence, a class, on a large scale, speaks only English. They are moving away from Bengali language and culture or literature. As a result, a crisis in the indigenous culture is emerging. It is not a flaw that a person can learn multiple languages; rather, it can be seen as a vast asset. However, it is essential to be mindful that while learning other languages, one should not neglect or show disregard for the mother tongue. Care should be taken to ensure that the same consideration is given to the nation as well, just as one would give to an individual.

Many Bengalis, like the young talent Megha Majumdar, have gained recognition for their English writings. Her first novel, "A Burning," consisting of 320 pages, received praise and was featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times. It can be said that two decades ago, there was indeed a Bengali girl named Jhumpa Lahiri, whose short story collection was titled "Interpreter of Maladies." That was also the author's first book. Interestingly, as soon as the book was published, there was an uproar in the western world.

Tahmima Anam's ‘A Golden Age’ was written in 1971 in the context of Bangladesh's independence war. Apart from this, Tahmima Anam is also the author of "The Good Muslim." In 2014, Bangladeshi-born British novelist Zia Haider Rahman published his debut novel, "In the Light of What We Know." The book received acclaim, and in 2015, it won the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. For his debut novel, Zia Haider Rahman received glowing praise and accolades, notably being described in The New Yorker's language as "remarkably accomplished."

In 2003, Monica Ali's novel "Brick Lane" was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. In 2018, the first short story collection of Fayeza Hasanat, published in the United States, titled "The Bird Catcher and Other Stories," explores themes of gender identity, family love, and questions of identity and family. In Shazia Omar's "Like a Diamond in the Sky," the lives of drug-addicted students at Dhaka's Madokasakti University are portrayed as immersed in addiction and smoke-filled existence. Rashid Askari has demonstrated a considerable narrative skill in writing stories in English. His collection of short stories, "Nineteen Seventy-One and Other Stories" (2011), has been translated into French and Hindi. Kazi Anis Ahmed's debut novel, "The World in My Hands," has already garnered significant acclaim. Many other notable names in literature, such as Sazia Omar, Farah Ghuznavi, Mahmud Rahman, Mariya Choudhury, Munize Majnur, Saad Hossain, Sharbari Ahmed, Shravanti Narmin Ali, Javed Jahangir, Aimdi Hussein, Nuzhat Mannan, Rumana Siddique, Rubana Haq, Leeman Sobhan, Azfar Hossain, Adib Khan, and Niyaz Zaman, among others, have contributed significantly to the literary landscape. This topic is crucial for the country, language, and culture because their writings often revolve around the homeland, ‘English’ serves only as a medium.

Michael Madhusudan Dutt, after experiencing sorrow, returned to his mother tongue. However, his perpetual epic "Meghnad Badh Kavya" has been published in English by Penguin and gained global recognition. The translation of Rabindranath Tagore's "Gitanjali" has brought rare honor to the Bengali language and literature. Nirad C. Chaudhuri wrote his autobiography in English.

Research and discussions on the Bengali language and literature have generated substantial interest in universities across the globe, including the United Kingdom, the United States, India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Germany, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, France, the Czech Republic, Canada, Australia, and other countries.

The most hopeful aspect is that 33 volumes of Rabindranath Tagore's works have been translated into Chinese language. Additionally, the songs and philosophy of Lalon have been translated into English and Japanese language. In the Soviet era, a significant portion of Rabindranath Tagore's literary works was translated into the Russian language.

Recent trends indicate that researchers believe there is a growing global interest and discourse surrounding the Bengali language, much like the sustained interest in English, Chinese, and Japanese languages.

On September 25, 1974, during the 29th General Assembly of the United Nations, the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, delivered his first speech in the Bengali language. Through Bangabandhu's speech, the members of the United Nations and all countries of the world could officially learn that the Bengali-speaking Bengali nation possesses an independent sovereign state. Its name is Bangladesh. Therefore, losing hope is not an option for the new generation; instead, they must identify the challenges and move forward.

Author: Fiction writer and President, Bangla Academy