25/01/2025
Roushan Ara Bashi Khutheibam: A Poet from Bangladesh
I met Roushan Ara Bashi Khutheibam in Manipur when she came as a Bangladesh delegate at the Two-Day International Conference on Manipuri Muslims: Past, Present & Future, organized by All Manipur Muslims (Meitei Pangal) Welfare Association (AMPWA), Manipur on 2nd and 3rd March 2019 at Imphal Hotel. She was given the opportunity to speak at the conference as a foreign delegate.
She is the first prominent Meitei Pangal poet of Bangladesh. I have also heard some the recitations of her poems that she usually uploads on her page. She has a soothing and mesmerizing voice.
Roushan Ara was born in a reputed Meitei Pangal family in Bangladesh. She was born on December 14, 1971 at Kunagaon, a beautiful village at Kamalgonj under Moulvi Bazar District, which is surrounded by Rajkandi Hills. She is the second daughter of Md. Nasir Uddin and Nurunnesa Begum.
The breathtaking beauty of the nature, the green covers, hills and cliffs that surrounds her village inspired her to write poetry since her youth. She grew up reading Bengali literature. The poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jibonananda Das and Mahadeb Saha, Humayun Ahmed's novel, etc. that she read in her formative years greatly inspired and shaped her as a poet. She started expressing her thoughts in writing from a young age. She also grew up reading Rabindranath Tagore's literature. She is also fond of listening to Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrul Geeti.
Roushan Ara soon became a prolific writer. She has, so far, published five poetry books in Bengali. The titles of the books are:
Somundrer Kacha Chithi
Bedonay Molat Badha
Biborno Abir
Saisober Deshe Parijat Ful
Megh Chuyeche Mon
One of Roushan Ara’s Bengali poem is presented here:
কিছু বলো
Roushan Ara Bashi Khutheibam
এবার তুমি কিছু বলো
চাল আর ডাল ছাড়া
বলো রঙের কথা ফুলের কথা
বা অন্য কিছু!
হাত ধরাধরি করে হেঁটেছি
এতদিন এতকাল
তবু কেন গোলাপ-বকুল আর
জোৎস্নার জন্য হাহাকার করে মন!
এবার তুমি কিছু বলো
তেল আর নুন ছাড়া
একটুখানি নীলাকাশ
বৃষ্টির কথা বলো
নইলে পুরুনো আসবাবের মতোন
ধুলোর আস্তরণ পড়বে
না হয় এ মলিন সময় থেকে চল পালাই।
এভাবে কি মানুষ বাঁচে গাছের মতোন!
দেখেছো তুমি--
হলদে পাতার মতোন
কত সকাল বিকেল ঝরে গেলো!
অদৃশ্য দেওয়াল ভেঙে এবার তুমি কিছু বলো
চাল ডাল আর ঘর সংসার ছাড়া
অন্য কিছু বলো!
21 May 2024
Sylhet
In recognition to her contribution towards Bengali literature, Roushan Ara has been conferred the following awards:
Gunijon Sombordhona Sommanona award by Bangladesh Kobi Mohol, Maijdihi, Srimangal in 2018.
Kaibbojoti Sommanona award from Kobi o Kobitar Biswa (KKB), Dhaka, in 2019, Sommanona swarak award by Priyajan Sahitya Parishad, Dhaka, in 2022
Sommanona Swarak award by Bangla Sahitya Parishad, United Kingdom in 2023
Sommanona Swarak award by Bharat Bangladesh Maitri Sangsad, Tripura, India, in 2023
Special Award for contribution to the Manipuri literature by Sabdasiri Sahitya Parishad, Bangladesh, in 2024
Roushan Ara is also associated with several literary bodies. She is at present the active member of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Manipuri Sahitya Sangsad and Bangladesh Pragati Lekhok Sangha, Sylhet Zilla Shakha.
Roushan Ara's love for her mother tongue Manipuri inspired her to write poetry in Manipuri too. Some of her Manipuri poems have been published in Manipuri journals. She is going to publish her first collection of poems in Manipuri language soon.
She has also participated in many literary programmes organized by Manipuri community based in Sylhet. She has also taken part in several poetry reading sessions and discussions organized in social media platforms based in Bangladesh, India and Canada.
Besides writing poetry, Roushan Ara loves cooking. She is an excellent and skilled cook. In 2005, she took part in the Sera Radhuni 1412 Shresthotter Lorai, a National Cooking Competition organized by Channel I in Bangladesh. She was the first and only Manipuri Muslim participant in that competition. She was praised by the famous chef of the country, Siddika Kabir, for her presentation.
She also works with Heed Bangladesh and Proshika, two reputed Non-Government Organizations of Bangladesh.
Roushan Ara is married to Md. Sirazul Islam Siraz, a Police Officer. The couple has two sons: Shihab Mustakim and Shahadin Mahmud. Shihab is now working as an officer in a private bank, while Shahadin Mahmud is serving as a Graphic Designer in a Game Development Company of Bangladesh. She now lives with her family in Sylhet.
Photo courtsy: Roushan Ara's FB page
Dr. Syed Ahmed
24/01/2025
