Today (Friday) is the 67th death anniversary of Jibanananda Das, a Bengali poet, writer, novelist and essayist.

Marking the day in a befitting manner, socio-cultural organisations held elaborate programmes across the country.

Born on February 17 in 1899, Jibanananda Das is arguably the most influential romantic poet of the post-Tagore era. He died in a road accident on October 22, 1954 in Kolkata.
Jibanananda, who is best known as the poet of ‘Ruposi Bangla’, is the creator of ‘Banalota Sen’-the unparalleled character embodying the serene beauty of Bangali women.

He was a poet, writer, novelist and essayist who was dimly recognised during his lifetime. But he is acknowledged as ‘the premier poet of the post-Tagore era in India’ and Bangladesh these days.

His ancestors came from the Bikrampur region of Dhaka district, from a now-extinct village called Gaupara on the banks of the river Padma. Jibanananda’s grandfather Sarbananda Dasgupta was the first to settle permanently in Barisal.