Sunamganj Correspondent: Hason Raja, the author of numerous popular songs, including ‘People say I like my house,’ ‘He set fire to Hason Raja’s mind,’ ‘Guddi Urail More, Maular Kestil Duri,’ and ‘Ami Na Lailam Allaji’s Name Re,’ is celebrating his 170th birthday today.
On the occasion of the poet’s birthday, a folk cultural program has been organized at the Sunamganj District Shilpakala Academy on Saturday (December 21) evening in memory of Hason Raja and the mystic saints.
Hason Raja was born on December 21, 1854 (7 Paush 1261) in Tegharia village of Lakshmanshree Pargana on the banks of the Surma River near Sunamganj city. He was a powerful landowner. Once, he bequeathed his wealth for public welfare and floated from haor to haor with a few companions. This talented mystic poet is equally appreciated by Bengali-speaking people as well as others.
Hasan Raja was the son of a landowner family. His father’s name was Dewan Ali Raja Chowdhury. He was also a powerful landowner. Hasan Raja was his third son. His mother was Hurmat Bibi. Hasan Raja’s ancestors lived in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. Hasan Raja was ordained as a landowner at the age of 15. The mysterious poet Hasan Raja was the landowner of a vast area of five lakh bighas, including Sunamganj, Netrakona, Rampasha, Lakshmanshree, and a part of Sylhet.
He became accustomed to living a reckless life under the influence of unaccountable wealth and power. Hasan Raja was engaged in the work of increasing his prestige through worldly greed, empowerment, and forcible occupation. But at one time, his inner delusion was erased. By the time he was in his mid-fifties, he had become a different person. Who knew that the tyrannical, indulgent landlord would become the most compassionate and saintly landlord of the future?
Just as Hasan Raja’s songs expressed the eternal message of humanity in simple, natural language, he was also a spiritual poet. He sang the songs of the land and the people, transcending all religious differences. World poet Rabindranath Tagore also praised two of Hasan Raja’s songs in his Hibbert Lectures in Calcutta in 1925 and London in 1933.
Meanwhile, Hasan Raja lovers, including tourists, are demanding that the Hasan Raja Museum be built as a full-fledged museum in Teghria’s birthplace in Sunamganj city. Similarly, devotees are demanding effective initiatives to prevent distortion of the tune of the strings.
In 1907, a collection of 206 songs composed by Hasan Raja was published. This collection was named ‘Hasan Udas.’. Apart from this, some other songs, including ‘Hasan Rajar Tinpurush’ and ‘Al Islah,’ were published in various newspapers and magazines. Hasan Raja died on 6 December 1922. He was buried next to his mother’s grave in Lakshmanshree, Sunamganj. He had prepared this grave himself before his death.
