Short stories
জিব্রাইলের ডানা
Not translated into English
Shahed Ali · 1953
Synopsis
Dhaka, in a hut with a half-melted mud wall, near the road that leads from Azimpur to Pilkhana. Nabi, eight years old, lives alone with his mother Halima, who begs and does cleaning work; placed without wages in a bidi factory, he escapes from it to fly a kite. On the night of Shab-e-Barat, convinced that an angel has passed their door without hearing them, he decides to send his kite up to God's throne, and becomes a porter at the station to buy ever more thread.
Context
The story that gives the collection its title was first published in 1949 in Sainik, the organ of the language movement, and immediately caused a stir. The collection was published in 1953 and brings together seven stories: Oi je nil akash, Fasal tolar kahini, Nanir intekal, Jibrailer dana, Elomelo, Pora matir gandha and Atashi. The title story was translated into English by the author's daughter, the novelist Dilruba Zeenat Ara.
Who it is for
Seven stories; the title story mixes with Bengali the popular speech of Dhaka and the words of Muslim piety: angels, the divine throne, prayer and almsgiving.
Prizes and reception
According to critics, its author's first and best collection; Jibrailer dana, his most famous text, keeps coming up in the questions of Bangladeshi competitive examinations.