Writing more books in English stressed

 Staff Correspondent

Writers in Dhaka on Sunday stressed the need for writing more books in English to portray the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh to other parts of the world. Expatriate Bangladeshi writers have also a responsibility to present the Bengali cultural and literary heritage to the English readers, they told the launching ceremony of a collection of letters ‘Letters from London: A Selection’ by expatriate Bengali writer in the UK, Shafi U Ahmed, at the Ramna Restaurant.

They also stressed the need for learning English alongside Bangla. The book has featured 110 letters published in feedback column in Dhaka-based English newspapers including New Age and The Daily Star during the 2003-2008 period. Ahmed Publications has published the 132-page book priced at Tk 120.

The letters have provided a small time capsule of some personal and Bangladeshi and global concerns. ‘The facts and opinions mentioned in these letters are entirely mine and they are not all rigidly set in stone,’ said Shafi U Ahmed. ‘This is just a transient time capsule locked in the archives of the dailies and I only draw a fleeting attention to them in this book.’

Former director general of shipping Mohammad Shafi said, ‘Shafi U Ahmed has sincerely addressed the Bangladeshi as well as the world issues to the readers. His commitment in this regard will help get the English readers an updated idea about Bangladesh as well.’ Writer and journalist M Mizanur Rahman said, ‘Shafi U Ahmed has combined different national and international subjects in his selected letters in the book. This will help us to build a link with the rest world.’  Shafi U Ahmed is a reputed translator in the UK and he achieved fame in translating Rabindranath Tagore’s poems into English, Mizanur continued.

Another former DG shipping QM Rahman, Shafi U Ahmed’s wife Lily Ahmed, Sarfunara, an ex librarian of the Public Library, Sheffield, England, and writer Monju Majid also spoke on the occasion. Born in 1937 in Faridpur, Shafi U Ahmed was educated in marine engineering from England and worked as a lecturer at the Marine Academy Chittagong in 1965.

In 1997, he retired from the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency as a principal marine surveyor after 25 years of his service there. He has authored a number of books of poetry and scientific articles. He won the prestigious British Peterloo Poets Award in 1992.