Hason Raja is the well-known mystic bard of Bangladesh whose name and fame spread beyond Bangladesh. A bard is one who writes poems and songs. And a mystic bard is one who tries to search the truth and become united with God through prayer and medication. He wrote poems and songs to express their deep thoughts and feelings about God, life and for man.

 

Hason Raja was born in 1854 in a wealthy landlord’s family in Sylhet. He did not receive much formal education. In his youth, he led a life of luxury. He did not lack anything –money, comfort or pleasure. But then a time came when he started to find all these comfort and joy meaningless. He gave away his landed property, his money and wealth. He started to think deeply about the creator, about life and death and mankind. Hason Raja wrote a lot of songs, perhapsabout a thousand in number. His book called “Hason Udash” was published in 1906. The book had 206 songs in it. In his songs Hason called himself ‘Crazy Hason Raja’ or the ‘Pagla Hason Raja’.

Hason Raja‘s songs were always popular in Sylhet. But very soon they spread all over Bangladesh and beyond. We will learn more about this great mystic poet through reading and listening to his songs.