A larger canvas of life 

The life and Works of Selina Hossain

 

Selina Hossain is undoubtedly one of the best writers in today’s literary scene of the country. Her deep perceptions of nature and human psyche have made her novels unique and absorbing.

 

There is a deep bond between Man and nature. Selina Hossain is the writer who has a penchant to delve into that bond. She creates characters that reflect the intricate ties between man and nature. It is no easy feat to convey one’s personal feeling and veneration for nature in ones works, but this writer does so with enviable aplomb. She transfers her own awe and love for nature to the mind of her reader with the simple skill of a connoisseur. She perhaps derives as much pleasure in sharing her feelings with the reader as she does from her love for nature itself. Her descriptions of nature, in one word are beautiful. They breathe a special life into her works.

 

It is nature and her experiences in life that inspire Selina Hossain, that excite her.  History plays an important role in her life too. That is why there is an unmistakable imprint of history in her works. Her novel, Bhalobasa Preetilata (Love Preetilata) is written in in the backdrop of the anti-British movement and Preetilata. Similarly, several other of her novels have this reflection of history.

 

It was with poetry that Selina began her career of writing. But poetry seemed rather stifling to her. She felt cramped. It was a world where she couldn’t stretch out to the full length of her abilities. Poetry failed to give full expression to her experiences, to her understanding of nature. She needed a much larger canvas. It was this thirst for expression that compelled Selina  Hossain to began writing novels.

Selina Hossain become involved in the literary world ever since her university days. Her first works were published in Uttar Annesha, the literary journal edited by head Rajshahi University’s Bangla department, Mazharul Islam, and in Purbo Meghey, edited by Zillur Rahman Siddique and Mustafa Nurul Islam. Her first novel was Jaluchchhash. She dabbles  in other serious writings in addition to her novels. She has significant works on arts, literature, society, the state, politics and other topics. Though her works are very informative, these are not pedantic research works works with a flurry of footnotes. The very essence of her work is reaching the reader with ease.

 

The reality of life and politics is reflected in Selina Hoossain’s works. When Ayub Khan’s law was declared Selina Hossain was a student of class eight. Later, in 1961, she was deeply affected by the ban on commemorating Rabindranath Tagore’s birthday. Her college scholarship was cancelled in 1962 because of her participation in a procession of the education movement. She has similarly been deeply affected down the years by the six-point movement, the mass uprising of 1969, the 1970 general election, the politics of the ‘70’s floods, the Liberation War, the killing of  Rajshahi University;s Shamsuzzoha Sir in 1971, seeing Sarder Jainuddin being dragged away from Bangla Academy in front of her very own eyes in 1971 and the various political upheavals in post-independence of Bangladesh. So politics features prominently in her writings. In her novel Gaytri Sandhaya, there is a reflection of the socio-economic, political and cultural side of this region’s people, ranging from 1947 to 1975. The novel Japito Jiban is based on the Language Movement. Ila Mitra and the Tebhaga movement were the basis of her novel, Kata Tare Projapati, Nirab Ghants Dhani is set in the forties and touches on personalities like Somen Chandra, Munir Chowdhury and Ranesh Das Gupta. However, her works never turned out to be historical documents or the mouthpiece of any political party. There were no commentaries on current news events.     

 

Somen Chandra, Munir Chowdhury and Ranesh Das Gupta, Ila Mitra, Preetilata and others reflected the spirit of their times and Selina used them to shape the characters of her novels. But these remained novels, fiction. Her novel Kalketu Fullara was written in symbolic form in the backdrop of Ershad’s autocratic rule. Selina Hossain took pains to ensure that her novels met all the prerequisites of being novels.

 

Selina Hossain’s novels place social truth before the readers. The reader is placed faced to face with social reality. Then the reader is left to decide. She leaves the task of social reforms to the social reformers. As a writer, she highlights the problem of the society.

 

She is not a feminist writer. Her works do not reflect feminist issues. But that doesn’t mean she is not for women’s emancipation. Women do feature importantly in her works, but in a different fashion. She depicts the role of women in the social and political movements of this country. She shows women’s contribution to economic development. She points to the challenges faced by women, to the decisions taken by women in political and social crises. For example, in her novel Dwipanita she shows a women’s position against Fatwa. Padashabda  a women’s rebellion against the establishment. In Lara, we see a woman’s challenge. We find a correct, timely decision of a woman in the interests of the country in the novel Hunger, Nadi, Grenade. Selina Hossain has never portrayed women as weak. She sees women’s sacrifice, a women’s participation in the overall freedom of the land.

 

Selina Hossain was born on June 14, 1947. Her father was AK Musharraf Hossain. Her mother, Mariamunessa Bakul. She is the fourth among seven siblings. Though her father’s home village was in Noakhali, she has spent very little time there. Due to her father’s job, the important parts of her life were spent in Bogra and Rajshahi.

 

Schooling for Selina began in 1954 when she got admitted into class  three of Latifpur Primarry School in Bogra. She had studied Class one and  two at home. She completed her primary education at the Latifpur Scool. The beauty of her surroundings, her teacher’s affection, the system of education, all have played a part in her growing up as a adult. A one-legged teacher of Latifpur Primary School would come to the class and recite poetry: Pakhi shab korey rab/Ratri Pohailo/Kanaey Ksum Koli Shakaley Futilo…” He would say,” You are all ‘Kusum Koli”, you must bloom.” This helped her go a head in life. No problems, whether physical, mental, family or political, ever held her back.

 

In 1957 Selina got admitted into Class five at VM Girls School. It meant a new school, new friends and a whole new environment. But what caught Selina’s attention the most was the head mistress Saleha Khatun’s foul temper and whimsical nature. A teacher can discipline a child, but the child shouldn’t feel victimized.

 

Selina Hossain did not have to remain there long. In 1959 she got admitted into Rajshahi’s Nath Girls School in class Eight. In 1962 she passed her matriculation examination from there.

 

She says that she had the love and care of all the teachers of all her schools. They were not involved just in their textbooks. They realized that students need an open environment for their minds to develop. Passing in the exams wasn’t the only thing. There was the whole world out there’. They helped Selina Hossain to be self-confident. She got admitted into Rajshahi College in 1962, but couldn’t join due to physical illness. She got admitted into Rajshahi Women’s College They were the first batch of the college. Physical illness could not stem her enthusiasm. In 1964 the Rajshahi inter College competition took place. Selina participated in seven contests, stood first in six and third in one. She still recalls that day with pride.

 

Selina Hossain get her Bachelor’s (Honours) degree in Bangla literature from Rajshahi University in 1967 and her Master’s in 1968 got a post-graduate degree in the same college. During her university day’s she actively participated on all the cultural  and political functions. She was supposed to have joined a debate in 1967 in Punjab University, but didn’t do so because of the political situation.

 

It was Porf. Abdul Hafiz of Rajshahi University who helped Selina lay the foundation of her writings. He helped in the formation of her style and concept. He helped her in modern thought. Selina Hossain still firmly believes that teachers, parents and libraries are extremely important in the life of a student. Teachers and parents must encourage students to read more than just textbooks. They must teach them the love of books; introduce them to the wonderful world of the printed world. It is the government and the other concerned authorities who must ensure that the students have access to these books. A student must not be prepared just to pass exams. He or she must become a reader in the true sense of the word.

 

What does Selina Hossain like? To travel, to read, Rabindra Sangeet, bhatyali, bhawaiya , the flute and the shenai. Travelling and reading top the list, travelling first and foremost. Books can be difficult, sad, painful and sorrowful. The joy of reading can sometimes be a painful process. But travel has no sorrow, no pain, no difficulty, just peace.

 

Selina Hossain joined Bangla Academy in 1970 as an assistant researchers. She continues her successful career at the Academy down till today.