Sheikh Fazlul Karim (1882–1936; bn, শেখ ফজলুল করিম), also known by his
daak naam Mona ( bn, মোনা), was a Bengali poet and writer. He was born in
Lalmonirhat
Lalmonirhat ( bn, লালমনিরহাট) is a town and district headquarters of Lalmonirhat District in the division of Rangpur, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in Sout ...
.
Early life and education
Sheikh Fazlul Karim was born on 30
Choitro
Choitro ( bn, চৈত্র) is the last month of the Bengali calendar. It falls from mid-March to mid-April and is the last month of Spring ( bn, বসন্ত ''Bôsôntô''). The name of the month is derived from the star Chitra ( ''Chitra' ...
1289
BS (1882) to a
Bengali Muslim
Bengali Muslims ( bn, বাঙালি মুসলমান; ) are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising about two-thirds of the global Bengali population, they are the sec ...
family of
Sardar
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar/Sirdar ( fa, سردار, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been ...
s in the village of
Kakina Bazar which was then located in
Lalmonirhat
Lalmonirhat ( bn, লালমনিরহাট) is a town and district headquarters of Lalmonirhat District in the division of Rangpur, Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in Sout ...
,
Rangpur district
Rangpur ( bn, রংপুর) is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.
Geography
Under the Rangpur Division (one of eight divisions) composed of eight districts of northern Bangladesh, the District of Rangpur ...
,
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
. He was the second of the five sons and three daughters of Amirullah Sardar and Kokila Bibi.
Prothom Alo
''The Daily Prothom Alo'' ( bn, প্রথম আলো) is a daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language. It is the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. According to National Media Survey 2018, conducte ...
, pp. 11, "খোলা পাতা", জন্মদিন, 13 April 2008
Fazlul Karim was interested in poetry from a young age, and it has been said that there were times when he would escape to go to school whilst only three to four years of age. When he turned five, he joined the Kakina School. At the age of eleven, he published his first handwritten book of poetry, ''Shorol Poddo Bikash''. He then went on to enrol at the
Rangpur Zilla School
Rangpur Zilla School (Rangpur District School) is a school located in Rangpur District, Bangladesh. It is one of the earliest schools established in Bengal.
History
The school was established in 1832 as Rangpur Zamindar School, by the loca ...
for class six but returned to Kakina School instead where he completed his minor. He was then sent to Rangpur again, but returned home once again.
[
]
Personal life
Sheikh Fazlul Karim married Basirunnesa Khatun when he was 13 years old.
Career
Karim wrote his first book at the age of eleven, entitled ''Sarol Paddo Bikash''. From this point on, the remainder of his life was devoted to literature. He was famous for both his prose and poetry. He edited the monthly BASANA.
Karim's writing is marked by a profound simplicity. He worked for Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
- Muslim friendship. His literary works have been included in school curriculum, in both secondary and higher secondary Bengali Literature in Bangladesh.
Works
* ''Sarol Paddo Bikash''
* ''Poritran Kabbo''
* ''Chintar Chash''
* ''Path o Patheyo''
* ''Gatha''
* ''Voktipushpanjoli''
References
* Helal M. Abu Taher: ''Muslim Sahitya Prativa'' published by Islamic Foundation, Dhaka, 1980.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fazlul Karim, Sheikh
1882 births
1936 deaths
19th-century Bengali poets
Bengali-language poets
Bengali male poets
20th-century Bengali poets
19th-century Indian male writers
20th-century Indian male writers
People from Lalmonirhat District
Bengali Muslims