Tareq Samin is a Bangladeshi Author. He is the Editor of the bilingual literary journal Sahitto. He is the author of eight books. His poems are translated in more than 20 languages. He received three international literary awards. As a Martin-Roth-Initiative Scholarship fellow, he was a guest writer in Goethe-Institut, Kolkata, India and Kathmandu, Nepal. Also, he was a guest writer in Château de Lavigny, Switzerland.

Bhagirath Choudhary is an internationally acknowledged poet, writer, philanthropist, global literary activist, world peace and environment activist based in New Delhi, India. He works relentlessly for global peacemaking, universal empathy, human solidarity, universal Welfare, global unity of humankind as One Earth Family. He advocates for aligning the human consciousness with evolutionary wisdom based upon scientific truth through his art of poetry for healing earth and humanity. His poetry is not only to read but to meditate for enjoying the mindful and holistic poetic experience.

He is founder of Global literary Society to motivate world poetic fraternity to create a global wave of Positive Literature. He has received many international awards like “The World Icon of Peace” 2018 

“The "Ambassador of Humanity" for 2019 HPAW, West Africa,

Vivekananda international Peace Award year 2019 by IHACEL, 

Mahatma Gandhi award for 2019 for promotion of Gandhian values through literary creativity for a nonviolent peaceful world by World Union of Poets (WUP) Italy and Master of Metaphor by World Poetry Conference 2019.

 ديوان خدوش على ملمس الإنتظار الذي يشي بعفوية 

نبيلةخلاّقة ، يمارسُ الشاعر فيه فعلا إنسانيًا خالصًا ،له 

من أبّهة روحانية تأتي من وجدانٍ مغمّس بالقهر والحسّ 

المأساوي، فحين يحبُّ لا ينفصم حبّه عن حبّ المرأة، أو الوطن، ً أو الأرض، أو الحياة ؛ حبّه يأتي رافلا بالإبتسام كي يشيع الفرحَ على الوجوه ،وهذا يتأتى من تجربة حياتية كبيرة ، إذ تتنوعُ الدلالات حين يسكب قصيدته المشربة بالأمل والحلم والحبّ الذي لا يخلو قصيدة من أثر له .

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Diwan scratches on the touch of waiting that suggests spontaneity Noble and creative, the poet practices in him a purely human act, for him, from a spiritual pompiness that comes from a conscience immersed in oppression and sense.  Tragically, when he loves his love is inextricably from the love of a woman, or the homeland, or the earth, or life, his love comes with a smile so that joy can spread on the faces, and this comes from a great life experience, as the semantics vary when he pours his poem impregnated with hope, dream and love, which is not without a poem of its effect.

Having many international publications for our works is a luxury. I feel blessed for receiving many invitations to write poems from different corners of the world which enabled my literary works traveled carrying messages and missions. I may say The Rhythm of Energy, my eleventh book, is a document of numerous poems that I have written for various international anthologies, literary journals, platforms and magazines in many countries of the whole continents. They were composed with various topics and themes, from domestic violence to ancient legends in anthropological territory.
Fulfilling many invitations to write with various themes, claimed not only energy and time, but also sufficient knowledge since the themes offered were so multifaceted. Thus, it requires me to endlessly learn a lot many things as a preparation and readiness to write with any theme. Once happened within a week I had to write 9 to 15 poems with different topics. Answering this challenge, no choices but keeping myself well-informed and fully-energized, to always be disciplined in reading, searching informations, compiling many datas and managing my poetical spirit alive. It is not always easy because composing poetry has its own criteria and claims unique condition to process and finalize the works. Poem is a combination of art and science, but mostly art. So, what the poet needs most in processing and finalizing their poems is imagination and sense of aesthetics in language besides knowledge.
From approximately 150 English poems I have written during one and a half years, fifty five poems of them are presented in this book, in which sixty percent of those chosen ones, were not derived from my personal experiences, but coming from the themes in invitations offered. That’s the innermost layer of a challenge in the writing process, how we adapt ourselves to capture, comprehend, interpret and communicate the whole inputs we gathered to turn them into a poetic composition and convey the messages to the readers.
I greatly value this virtual and digital age for the easiness in pursuing datas and needed infos effectively which saving much energy and time. I just stayed in my bedroom accompanied by mobile and laptop before my book shelves, and flying here and there in “VVIP class” with a full plate of amenities. I feel so blessed and grateful for my packed schedule, finalizing 4 books, including The Rhythm of Energy, during the critical condition in my country regarding Covid-19 pandemic since last year (March 2020). Office time and all meetings has moved into home to stay safe and prevent the spread. Blessings in disguise, the restrictions help me to be more productive in my writing works.
It is essential for finalizing my books in this temporary critical season soon for maximizing the time as a stay-at-home person. I hope when later the world be fully recovered I can be focused and concentrated on a number of upcoming projects with some institutions and communities. But still, because of my creative zeal and passion is writing, compiling datas and infos for another book (s) will be always on top priority. 

Preface

Parveen Shahnaz is writing poems for the last 20 years, and so far, she has published four books of poems. This list includes Touching the Seawater, The Desolate Cloud, Water Collected on Folded Palms and The Ironclad Family of Stars. The titles of her books are quite poetic, and they resonate rhythmic sound affirming Shahnaz is predominantly a poet by heart. Her creative works, I am sure, have already drawn attention of the circle of poets and poetry-lovers in the country. In the present bilingual book, she has presented selected poems both in Bangla and their translation in English. This will bring laurels for her from home and abroad. I have found most of Shahnaz’s poems are one page in length and not overloaded with theory or concepts. These are more emotional in tone and written from heart, not head. These features perfectly match with what Buddhadeb Basu had prescribed as ideal forms of poetry to the poets of his time. As I read, I find love is the central theme of Shahnaz’s poetry. The lines are spontaneous flow of emotion. This course is both dynamic and vibrant. I am sure the true readers of poetry will surely feel the touch of her writings and discover their inner beauty. I am confident that this book would find a good readership among the connoisseurs of poetry. I wish the writing career of Parveen Shahnaz fly from good to great!

Abul Kashem Fazlul Huq Former Professor, University of Dhaka

Introduction

I know Parveen Shahnaz from her engagement with a social organization with which I am also associated as its Chief Advisor. I used to know that she writes poetry and has published several books of poems. Occasionally she presented one or two of her books to me for reading. Her association with a socially committed organization is a manifestation of her collective awareness. As I browsed through the pages of her poetry books, I have found the same social commitment and awareness in her writings. The lines are simple and rhythmic. The words are so unrestrained that a reader won’t have to struggle with the dictionary to find their meanings. As a professor of mass communication and journalism, I used to teach subjects that deals with human lives, their struggle and thirst for freedom. Literature depicts all these aspects of human lives in subtle way. Poetry, we know, is the smost articulate form of literature where a poet uses metaphors, similes, images etc., to express deeper feelings and realizations. I have found these features in Shahnaz’s poetry. The canvas of Parveen Shahnaz contains many colours. Her subjects range from love for beloved to love for humanity, from nature to relationship, from rural settings to urban complexities. Many of her poems have inner cadence and splendor. I wish her more sucess!

AAMS Arefin Siddique Former Vice Chancellor, University of Dhaka

Bangladesh is one of the beautiful smallest countries of the world in Indian subcontinent of the south-east Asia and almost bordered by India. Only The Bay of Bengal is on the south. In ancient time it was independently ruled by different kings in the region of greater Bengal. In Mughal period this area of present Bangladesh included West Bengal, Bihar and Odia was a state of Mughal empire. Then it was ruled by the British 190 years as a part of greater Indian subcontinent from 1757 to 1947. The borders of modern Bangladesh were established with the separation of Bengal and India in August 1947, when the region became East Pakistan as a part of the newly framed State of Pakistan following the end of British rule in the region. Proclamation of Bangladesh Independence in March 1971 led to the nine-month long Bangladesh Liberation War, that culminated with East Pakistan emerging as the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Its area is 1,47, 000 sq-kilometers and population is about 16'5 crore. It is a densely populated country. Ninety percent people are muslim and the rests are hindu, buddhist, cristian and different tribes. By population it is the 8th biggest country of the world. Bengali or Bangla is its native language that originated Bangali or Bangladeshi nationality.
Anthropologists believe that Bangali is a vastly mixed nation as many races of the world originated from the four principal ethnic groups-Negroid, Mongoloid, Caucasoid and australoids had intruded into it. So, the existence of numerous and varied ethnic groups in the mixed blood of the Bangalis is traced. It is assumed that the speakers of austric language were the majority among the ancient inhabitants of Bangladesh. The Bengal region was ruled by the 'Guptas', 'Senas', 'Barmans',
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'Kamboja', 'Kharhaga', 'Turkish', 'Afghans', 'Mughals', 'Portuguese', 'English', 'Armenians', etc., who left behind their blood-current. This intermingling of blood continued even during the Pakistani era. This mixing has been geared up even more during the current age of globalisation. This ancient ethos has remained the real identity of the Bangali nation.
The first mention of the Bangali ethnic groups is found in the writings of Greek historians. The state was given the name of 'Vangala' or Bangla as the inhabitants of this land were termed Vangalia or Bangali, a common language – Bangla that was given shape for the whole of the Bangali nation.
Although Bangladesh was a province in the muslim Mughal state structure, its provincial rulers took great care in handling its cultural distinctiveness. It was during this period that the major festivals of the Bangalis came into being. The Bangla calendar, name of Bangla months, pahela baishakh or the Bengali New Year's festival were the contributions of the Mughals. Various festivals, diverse food-items and dresses which were introduced added colour to the Bangaliness. Betel-leaf, tobacco, drinks, jalsa or adda means cultural gatherings were special contributions of the Mughals. The Bengali poetry or literature was influenced by these diverse cultural developments. Sufism and vaisnavism, and related literature and folk-practices added distinctiveness to the Bangalee ethos.
The Bengali language generally corresponding to the country of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal belongs to the Indo-Aryan group of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. The Bengali are of diverse origin, having emerged from the confluence of various communities that entered the region over the course of many centuries. The earliest inhabitants of the region are believed to have been the Vedda from Sri Lanka. Later the Vedda were joined by Mediterranean peoples who spoke Indo-European languages. In the 8th century peoples of Arab, Turkish, and Persian descent began to enter the area. Eventually all these groups merged to become the people now known as Bengali. Whether Hindu or Muslim, the Bengali people engage in a broad spectrum of artistic activity. Both Hindus and Muslims share the Hindustani classical music and dance tradition, while they also display a strong penchant for nonclassical popular forms. The Bengali of Bangladesh, for instance, created many unique popular music genres, such as baul and marfati, that have remained without true equivalents outside the country.
Bangladesh is a land of beauty and poetry, rich culture and literature. Bengali literature dates to before the 12th century. The Caitanya movement, an intensely emotional form of Hinduism inspired by the medieval saint Caitanya (1485–1533), shaped the subsequent development of Bengali poetry until the early 19th century, when contact with the West sparked a vigorous creative synthesis. The modern period has produced the Nobel Prize-winning romantic world poet Rabindranath Tagore, rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam-national poet of Bangladesh, poet of nature Jibanananda Das, folk poet Jasim Uddin and great modern poets Farrukh Ahmed, Syed Ali Ahsan, Ahsan Habib, Shamsur Rahman, Al Mahmud, Shahid Quadri, Fajal Shahabuddin, Abdul Mannan Syed, Syed Shamsul Haque, Dilwar and so on who should be translated for world poetry lovers. We, Prodigy Published wish to publish their great Bengali poems into English in future.
Besides Bengali poetry a remarkable number of Bengali bilingual or English poets are actively and powerfully creative in contemporary English poetry and literature. They contribute lots to promote poetry and represent their country globally. They are often published in the world renowned anthologies, magazines, newspapers, journals and channels and participated in international poetry festivals , translated and awarded
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globally. In honour of their great contribution in world poetry, we happily decide to publish them in a collection like this book ENGLISH POETS BANGLADESH. We hope it will be a milestone for their poetic journey and help them to go far in the aesthetic way of poetic humanity..
In this collection, we tried to find out all of existing English poets originated Bangladesh and collect their details, yet someone might be missed for the lack of connectivity or their unwilling or noncooperation.
With regards, Zlatan Demirovic, Editor
Prodigy Published