Muktadhara
Encyclopedia
Muktadhara is an international organization, publishing house and bookstore dedicated to the promotion of Bengali literature
and culture. It was started in the India
n state of West Bengal
by the late Chittaranjan Saha, who in his work as head of the publishing house pioneered the Ekushey Book Fair
. In addition to its early involvement with The Ekushey Book Fair, the organization is connected to other cultural Bengali events, like International Language Day and the International Bangla Festival. It also participates in the spread of literature and culture by taking part in such events as the National Poetry Festival.
The Muktadhara bookstore chain, founded by Saha's younger brother Bishawajit Saha who is the current president of the Muktadhara Foundation, has four stores in the United States
. Its New York City
store is the largest Bengali-language bookstore in the city.
from Bangladesh
during the Bangladesh Liberation War
of 1971. Saha, who promoted the publication of writings for their country, published 32 books during the war, founding Muktadhara in Kolkata. After the war, Saha relocated to Bangladesh and began publishing creative works as well. In 2004, poet Mohammad Nurul Huda
retrospectively described Muktadhara publishing house as "the most notable of its kind in the post-independence literary world of the country", indicating that "any book coming out of Muktadhara was deemed as up-to-the-mark". The poet attributed this to the custom of the publishing house to subject manuscripts to review by a panel of readers, adding that "no manuscript saw the light of day if it was not duly recommended by the reviewers and concerned editor".
In 1972, Saha began selling publications from Muktadhara on the grounds of the Bangla Academy
during the weeklong celebration of Language Day. Gradually, Muktadhara was joined by other publishers, and in 1978 the Bangla Academy formalized the collection of sellers as the Ekushey Book Fair.
Bishwajit Saha founded The New York branch of Muktadhara in 1990 as a bookstore operating out of his apartment in Jackson Heights
. Subsequently, on February 21, 1992, Muktadhara and a number of other organizations joined together to place a temporary monument honoring the student martyrs killed forty years before protesting the exclusion of Bengali from the official language list of Pakistan, a tradition which has become annual. The New York Branch has also launched community writing workshops, reading series in conjunction with various school and community projects, and, since 1992, the International Bengali Book Fair in New York and other cities in North America. In 2008, publishing houses from multiple countries are expected to participate, with confirmed participation by a number of international guest, including Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
and poet Sunil Ganguly
.
The New York branch has also honored the "10 Greatest Bengalis Alive", a list garnered by online survey commenced in December 2004 and concluded on May 31, 2005, promoted with international outreach. The list was announced at New York's Manhattan Center
on August 28, 2005, with guests of honor Carolyne Wright and Clinton B. Seely
also celebrating the 15th anniversary of the New York branch.
On April 25—Friday 2008 Muktadhara hosted Muhammad Yunus
, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. The Nobel Laureate revealed his new book, “Creating a World without Poverty”http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=12766. Rashidul Bari, the author of Grameen Social Business Model: A Manifesto for Proletariat Revolution, and the producer of the film, "The Killing of Muhammad Yunus Biographer, welcome the Nobel Laureate at Muktadhara.
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
and culture. It was started in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
by the late Chittaranjan Saha, who in his work as head of the publishing house pioneered the Ekushey Book Fair
Ekushey Book Fair
The Ekushey Book Fair or Omor Ekushey Boi Mela , popularly known as Ekushey Boi Mela is the national book fair of Bangladesh...
. In addition to its early involvement with The Ekushey Book Fair, the organization is connected to other cultural Bengali events, like International Language Day and the International Bangla Festival. It also participates in the spread of literature and culture by taking part in such events as the National Poetry Festival.
The Muktadhara bookstore chain, founded by Saha's younger brother Bishawajit Saha who is the current president of the Muktadhara Foundation, has four stores in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
store is the largest Bengali-language bookstore in the city.
History
In a 2008 interview, Muktadhara's director Jawhar Lal Shaha explained that Muktadhara, which takes its name from the Bengali words for "free-flowing stream", grew from Chittaranjan Saha's gatherings with writers exiled in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
from Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
during the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
of 1971. Saha, who promoted the publication of writings for their country, published 32 books during the war, founding Muktadhara in Kolkata. After the war, Saha relocated to Bangladesh and began publishing creative works as well. In 2004, poet Mohammad Nurul Huda
Mohammad Nurul Huda
Mohammad Nurul Huda , is a Bangladeshi poet and novelist. He is recognized a major poet of 1960s, with more than fifty poetry books to his credit.-Life:...
retrospectively described Muktadhara publishing house as "the most notable of its kind in the post-independence literary world of the country", indicating that "any book coming out of Muktadhara was deemed as up-to-the-mark". The poet attributed this to the custom of the publishing house to subject manuscripts to review by a panel of readers, adding that "no manuscript saw the light of day if it was not duly recommended by the reviewers and concerned editor".
In 1972, Saha began selling publications from Muktadhara on the grounds of the Bangla Academy
Bangla Academy
Bangla Academy , established on 3 December 1955, is the national academy for promoting Bangla language in Bangladesh. The main office of the organization is located at the Burdwan House, once a part of the campus of the University of Dhaka, beside Suhrawardy Udyan.-History:The importance of...
during the weeklong celebration of Language Day. Gradually, Muktadhara was joined by other publishers, and in 1978 the Bangla Academy formalized the collection of sellers as the Ekushey Book Fair.
Bishwajit Saha founded The New York branch of Muktadhara in 1990 as a bookstore operating out of his apartment in Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
. Subsequently, on February 21, 1992, Muktadhara and a number of other organizations joined together to place a temporary monument honoring the student martyrs killed forty years before protesting the exclusion of Bengali from the official language list of Pakistan, a tradition which has become annual. The New York Branch has also launched community writing workshops, reading series in conjunction with various school and community projects, and, since 1992, the International Bengali Book Fair in New York and other cities in North America. In 2008, publishing houses from multiple countries are expected to participate, with confirmed participation by a number of international guest, including Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury
Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury was Adviser for the Foreign Ministry to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh from January 2007 to January 2009. In addition, he was also given the portfolios of the Ministries of Expatriates' Welfare and Chittagong Hill Tracts....
and poet Sunil Ganguly
Sunil Ganguly
Sunil Ganguly was an Indian musician who played the Hawaiian electric guitar. He made a number of records of Indian film music on the HMV label, Sagarika Acoustronics and Concorde Records....
.
The New York branch has also honored the "10 Greatest Bengalis Alive", a list garnered by online survey commenced in December 2004 and concluded on May 31, 2005, promoted with international outreach. The list was announced at New York's Manhattan Center
Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center building, built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan, houses Manhattan Center Studios , its Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein Ballroom, one of New York City's most renowned performance venues...
on August 28, 2005, with guests of honor Carolyne Wright and Clinton B. Seely
Clinton B. Seely
Clinton B. Seely ,Clinton B. Seely ,Clinton B. Seely ,(born 21 June 1941 is an American academic and translator, and a scholar of Bengali language and literature. He has translated the works of Ramprasad Sen and Michael Madhusudan Dutt and written a biography of Bengali poet Jibanananda Das. He has...
also celebrating the 15th anniversary of the New York branch.
On April 25—Friday 2008 Muktadhara hosted Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and founder of the Grameen Bank, an institution that provides microcredit to help its clients establish creditworthiness and financial self-sufficiency. In 2006 Yunus and Grameen received the Nobel Peace Prize...
, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner. The Nobel Laureate revealed his new book, “Creating a World without Poverty”http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=12766. Rashidul Bari, the author of Grameen Social Business Model: A Manifesto for Proletariat Revolution, and the producer of the film, "The Killing of Muhammad Yunus Biographer, welcome the Nobel Laureate at Muktadhara.
External links
- Muhammad Yunus at Muktadhara
- International Bangla Festival website
- Muktadhara publishing house website
- Interview, Voice of AmericaVoice of AmericaVoice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
, with Bishawajit Saha