Writers, literary researchers and critics expressed that fiction writer Shahidul Zahir challenged the mainstream historical narratives through his polyphonic, memory-driven narratives.
The remarks were made at a seminar on Saturday, titled Mahallar Antashabda: Shahidul Zahirer Kathasahitya Maya, Smrity O Rajnoitik Bastabata, organised by Bangla Academy as part of a seminar series at its premises in the capital.
Writer and researcher Saikat Arefin presented the keynote speech, while Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam spoke on the topic, and poet, writer, professor Sumon Rahman chaired the event.
Saikat Arefin said that Shahidul Zahir had created a variety of realities without following any particular trend.
‘Instead of a single voice, he describes many events and finds the existence of the individual in the midst of political reality,’ he said, adding that Zahir shows how grand history lives in the lives of ordinary people.
Saikat also stated that Zahir’s use of illusion is not magical realism, but rather something rooted in legend; through illusion, he seeks to uncover the truth rather than obscure reality. He added, ‘He reconstructs events, exaggerates, and revives the old memories of the community. For him, time is not linear—it returns again and again.’
Bangla Academy director general Mohammad Azam said that a situational reaction is a defining characteristic of Shahidul Zahir’s writings, describing the author as someone who transcended matter.
He also stated that the keynote speaker paid close attention to Shahidul Zahir’s unspoken words, interpreting Zahir’s use of illusion and memory in an extraordinary way.
‘Reality does not mean information. By going beyond information, Shahidul Zahir becomes unique, leaving aside monolithic meaning and leading many people toward many meanings,’ he said, adding that Zahir’s short story Kata questions the idea of communal harmony, while Kothay Pabo Tare stands as an extraordinary love story in Bengali literature.
Sumon Rahman said that Zahir presented the community as a distinct character, while humour and brutality entered his writing openly. He added, ‘Zahir did not allow for any separation or debate between his personal life and his literary life.’
