Abstract
In the volume On Behula's Raft published in 2008 by Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, some significant social, cultural, political and historical aspects of Bangladesh figure repeatedly. This paper tries to explain how these aspects are reflected in Hossain's poems through text analysis of the primary material and some other primary and secondary sources. In this volume, Behula myth is found to be re-created and modified to suit Hossain's exploration into and celebration of, and commitment to Bangladesh, his beloved and beautiful motherland. Some important characters have been highlighted in this volume such as Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina, a victim of fanaticism named Noorjahan, a legendary Bengali female poet called Kankabati and a Dhaka rickshaw-puller named Abushama to present various socio-politico-economic aspects of Bangladesh. Moreover, Bangladesh's liberation war, political reality, problems and potentials have been depicted in most of the poems in the volume. The paper implies that in On Behula's Raft, Hossain (2008) upholds a Bangladesh consciousness on an epical scale which has rendered great significance to the volume.
Highlights
The volume On Behula’s Raft constituting of thirty-five poems published in the year 2008 is one of the most significant additions to Bangladeshi literature in English by Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, a leading contemporary Bangladeshi poet. It explores into the vivid landscape of the riverine country Bangladesh and her rich culture, myth and tradition
The “simmering heat of Jaishtha” perhaps stands for the potential of Lakhindar which can burn down the edifice of injustice, maltreatment, corruption and darkness weighing heavy on Bangladesh
The title poem “On Behula’s Raft” signals to the rising conscious and forward-looking mindset of the awakened Lakhindar representing Bengalis. The speaker says, he is “struggling to be on my [his] feet again” (Hossain, 2008, p. 23). His confidence multiplies as his “chest [is] expanding” (p. 23) and ribs having “vanished under the muscles” (p. 23) He seems to realize that his purgation lies in two ways: he must take the responsibility for all the wrongdoings perpetrated against Bangladesh and admit his complicity for gross indifference to the motherland, and must settle the historical scores with a revisionist attitude
Summary
The volume On Behula’s Raft constituting of thirty-five poems published in the year 2008 is one of the most significant additions to Bangladeshi literature in English by Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, a leading contemporary Bangladeshi poet. It explores into the vivid landscape of the riverine country Bangladesh and her rich culture, myth and tradition. She assumes a mother-like figure to him besides retaining her original identity as wife She is made to symbolize Bangladesh with all her social, political, cultural and historical experiences. The re-created Behula myth records and transcribes different aspects of Bangladesh
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