Poetry collection Adivasi Premikar Mukh: The Portrait of an Adivasi Beloved launched at Bangla Academy

The bilingual poetry collection Adivasi Premikar Mukh: The Portrait of an Adivasi Beloved, (Oitijjhya, 2026) by journalist, poet, and fiction writer Ehasan Mahamud was launched on Monday, May 18, at the Kabi Shamsur Rahman Seminar Room of Bangla Academy, Dhaka. The event was organised by Oitijjhya Publications and moderated by Mostafa Mushfiq.

The programme brought together cultural figures, researchers, and rights activists, including representatives from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Bangla Academy, and academic institutions.

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State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Newaz Mahmud Khaiyam said, “We want to build such a harmonious cultural exchange so that people in the hills do not feel they are treated as lesser in any way.”

Rights activist Myentthein Promila noted that the term “beloved” in the book functions as a metaphor representing the entire Indigenous population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. She highlighted issues of land rights, displacement, and structural marginalisation reflected in the poetry, saying that policymakers should reflect on these realities in the future.

Writer and researcher Pavel Partha reflected on how the collection portrays the lived struggles of the Hill Tracts. He said, the poet views the region as seen “either through the lens of existing hegemony or through the lived worldview of the people of the region,” pointing to questions of perspective and representation in understanding the hills.

Kudrat-e-Huda, expert of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board, said, “What the poet is trying to say in this book is that his beloved is an Indigenous girl.” He added that the work carries more pain and vulnerability than romantic imagery, stating, “There is far more insecurity and suffering of Indigenous life than there is love in this book.”

Bangla Academy Director General Professor Mohammad Azam said the book is deeply connected to a specific region and its socio-political realities. He noted that it must be read within its cultural context and highlighted its strong narrative dialogue and critical lens on the state.

In his speech, author Ehasan Mahamud said the idea for the book emerged during his time working with Bangladesh Television in Chattogram. He reflected on Bangladesh’s diversity, stating, “Bangladesh is a country of ethnic, linguistic, and religious diversity,” and discussed the historical and political tensions of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, including development narratives and the aftermath of the 1997 Accord.

He further questioned the recurring cycles of political upheaval, calling for a more just and inclusive national framework.