Serajul Islam Choudhury (born 23 June 1936) is a Bangladeshi literary critic,
public intellectual
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
, social and political analyst, activist, historian, educationist, editor, translator, columnist, and professor emeritus at the
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
. He is the editor of ''Natun Diganta''. Considered one of the foremost oppositional intellectuals of Bangladesh, he authored nearly a hundred books and countless essays in Bangla and English.
Early life and education
Choudhury was born in the village of Baroikhali under the
Sreenagar thana in the district of
Munshigonj
Munshiganj ( bn, মুন্সীগঞ্জ), also historically known as Bikrampur, is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District.
Geography
Total land area is 235974 acres (954 km2), ...
.
He is the eldest of the nine brothers and four sisters to their parents Hafizuddin Chowdhury and Asia Khatun.
[ In his early life, he liked to build his career as a novelist, but his father wanted him to join the civil service after a degree in Economics. On a note of compromise, he enrolled with the English department at the ]University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
after an intermediate of arts degree, obtained in 1952 from Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College (Notre Dame College of Ohio or NDC) is a private Roman Catholic college in South Euclid, Ohio. Established in 1922 as a women's college, it has been coeducational since January 2001. Notre Dame College offers 30 majors and i ...
, preceded by his matriculation from St. Gregory's High School in 1950. He received his MA degree in 1956 and taught briefly at Haraganga College in Munshiganj and Jagannath College in Dhaka. He completed his post-graduate diploma in English Studies at The University of Leeds
, mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased
, established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds
, ...
, the UK and obtained his doctorate in English from Leicester University
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_labe ...
, the UK.
Career
Choudhury joined as a lecturer the Department of English, Dhaka University, in 1957, planning also to be a writer. He decided not to become a bureaucrat which many around him were becoming then. He stated two reasons why he wanted to be a writer: first, his work at the university, which would ensure that he would not be transferred from place to place and which would allow him time to read and write a lot; and, second, his temperament. In more than four decades that followed, he taught students, wrote essays, headed the department, became Dean, spawned off several academic and research projects, initiated doctoral dissertation guidance at the department, started periodicals, founded study centers, and remained involved in university politics.
Choudhury first initiated to offer the Ph.D. degree in English at Dhaka University. He edited journals, the university journals of arts and letters, in Bangla and English — ''Dhaka Visvavidyalay Patrika'' for 15 years and ''Dhaka University Studies'' for nine years. He founded the ''Visvavidyalay Patrika''. Choudhury also founded a national views weekly called ''Somoy'' and co-edited it with Azfar Hussain, Zaheda Ahmad ''et al'', from the early to the mid-1990s. He founded the University Book Centre in 1978 and the Centre for Advanced Research in Humanities in 1986. In keeping with the spirit, he now runs a centre called Samaj Rupantar Adhyayan Kendra (Centre for Social Transformation Studies), which works towards waking people up to a democracy which would mean ‘equality of rights and opportunities. Rights being equal would not mean anything unless the opportunities remain equal.’
Personal life
Choudhury was married to Nazma Jesmin Choudhury. She was a professor the University of Dhaka. Their children are Rownak Ara Choudhury and Sharmin Choudhury.[
]
Awards
* Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...
* Bangla Academy Literary Award
The Bangla Academy Literary Award ( bn, বাংলা একাডেমি সাহিত্য পুরস্কার; ''Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar''), is given by the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh in recognition of creative genius i ...
* University of Dhaka Gold Medal in Research
* Kazi Mahbubullah Award
* Bangladesh Writers AWard
* Abdur Rahman Choudhury Award[
]
Selected publications
Choudhury's books in the Bengali language:
*''Anveshana ''
*''Nirbachita Prabandha'' (1999)
*''Rashtra o Samskrti'' (1993)
*''Nazrul Islam: Poet and More'' (1994) azrul Institute*''Bangalir Jaya Parajaya'' (1994)
*''Apanajana'' (1992)
Choudhury's books in the English:
*
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Serajul Islam
Living people
1936 births
Bangladeshi essayists
Bangladeshi male writers
Bangladeshi Marxists
Bangladeshi translators
Bangladeshi literary critics
Recipients of the Ekushey Padak
University of Dhaka alumni
University of Dhaka faculty
Alumni of the University of Leicester
Male essayists
Notre Dame College, Dhaka alumni
Recipients of Bangla Academy Award
Bangladeshi political writers