The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre (IGCC) at the High Commission of India in Dhaka hosted a moving “Nazrul Sandhya” on 28 August 2025 to commemorate the 49th death anniversary of Kazi Nazrul Islam. Leading artists, scholars and cultural figures gathered at the ICC in Gulshan to honour the poet-musician known as the “Bidrohi Kobi.”

Event and attendance
A wide audience — Nazrul scholars, youth delegates, cultural dignitaries and art lovers — attended the evening, which the IGCC presented as a celebration of the shared cultural bonds between India and Bangladesh.

Words from the High Commissioner
High Commissioner Pranay Verma reflected on Nazrul’s multifaceted legacy, calling him “an icon of the shared cultural connection between India and Bangladesh.” He linked Nazrul’s poems to historical resistance against colonial rule and praised their continuing message of inclusive humanism and youthfulness.

IGCC’s role and welcome address
Ann Mary George, Director of IGCC, offered a welcome that underscored the centre’s role as a hub for cultural exchange and dialogue, and reiterated IGCC’s commitment to preserving and promoting regional literary and musical heritage.

Performances that defined the night
The programme’s emotional core came from Nazrul Sangeet renditions by Dr. Chanda Chakraborty and Shahid Kabir Polash. Their passionate performances — spanning Nazrul’s fiery protest verses, devotional pieces and lyrical love songs — left audiences deeply moved.

Nazrul’s enduring legacy
The evening reaffirmed Nazrul’s status as poet, musician, freedom fighter and philosopher whose calls for equality, harmony and resistance continue to inspire across generations and borders.