KUSHTIA Oct 9 The 104 death anniversary of great mystic poet Fakir Lalon Shall will be observed here on October 16 The Lalon Academy and district administration here have been arranged for various programmes to observe the

The programmes Include a 10-day regional book fair

A meeting of the preparatory committee for the book fair was held recently with Md Nazrul Islam. Deputy Commissioner. In chair at Kushtia Coilectorate Conference Hall The meeting was attended by Safiqui Islam. Deputy Director of Bangladesh National Library and central leaders of the Book Sellers Samity Md Selim. Milon Nath. Md. Mustafa and

Syeed. The book fair will have a total of 40 stalls. Of these.

10 stalls will be given to local book sellers. Shiah u Academy. Bangla Academy. Islamic Foundation and Shllpakala Academy will also participate in the fair A number of minis ters are expected to attend the fair as guests Besides, playwright. Momtazuddin Ahmed and novelists Humayun Ahmed. Imdadul Huq Milon have been Invited to attend the fair and other functions

In Kushtia. twice in a year the hauls or mystics disciples of Lalon Shah meet at Lalon Mausoleum — once In March during the full moon I Falgunt Purritma) and again in October The Mausoleum is situated in

Seuria village on the grave of the great folk poet and spiritual leader of the hauls

People of different caste and creed gather here to pay rich tributes to the poet by rendering songs composed by the poet himself The whole of Kushtia town wears a festive look during the three-day long festival hauls both men and women pay homage to their spiritual leader, Lalon Shah These hauls who are mystics in a typical way are free from all desire, quite indifferent to the worldly affairs.

They are also considered as religious mendicants — a sect representing an obscure religious cult. Their Iconoclasqi. disregard for caste and attempt to make a merger of

Buddhist. Hindu and Muslim tradition* given them a sc pa rate entity, a freedom to con front Ilie outside the prevailing social and religious custom. They do not preach religious doctrine but woe others with their songs which speak of humanism

They believe that all human beings belong to one single caste The structure of the haul cult Is baaed on humanism and in this regard sufism of Islam has made a greater impact on them

However mystery l* there over the birth of Lalon Shah and the details on his life is not known as no written copy is available on his life