HE loves to play with words and rhythm, talks about the nature and people of the country and is thus in the truest sense a son of the soil. Though he passed many years translating his thoughts into beautiful verses, Al Mujaheedy, one of the leading poets of 60s, still claims to be young at heart. The Daily Star wishes the poet all the best as he turns 62 today.

Al Mujaheedy has ventured with

poetic sensibility acquiring new dimensions into uncharted thematic grounds. His maturity and fame grew with the advancement of time and he has gradually come to be recognised as one of the major poets of Bangladesh. Last year he was awarded 'Ekushey Padak 2003'--the highest award in the field of literature in the country.

Al Mujaheedy's themes encompass patriotism, love, humanity, nature, eternal human relation, optimism, pessimism and liberation war.

By profession a journalist, Mujaheedy started publishing poems as early as 1952 and has so far published 52 books of poems. Being a celebrated poet, he is also known as a novelist and a multilinguist. He has been the literary editor of the Daily Itte/aq for decades.

The poet was in jail for many years for his leading role in student national politics during the Pakistan period and was a valiant freedom fighter during the War of Liberation.