This List of Bengali poets includes poets who write in

Bengali language Bengali ( ), generally known by its endonym Bangla (, ), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language native to the Bengal region of South Asia. It is the official, national, and most widely spoken language of Bangladesh and the second m ...

who produce

Bengali poetry Bengali poetry is a rich tradition of poetry in the Bengali language and has many different forms. Originating in the Bengal region of South Asia, the history of Bengali poetry underwent three successive stages of development: poetry of the ear ...

. This list classifies poets into three groups based on geographical location. These are poets from

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

, poets from

West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and poets from other parts of the world including Bengali

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...

and non-Bengali people writing poetry in Bengali. However, the list starts with early Bengali poets to be followed by those who are identified not only with

Indian sub-continent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India ...

before partition in 1947, but also as founders of Bengali poetry. The list also contains separate sub-lists of "rhyme composers" and "song writers". Finally, there are two sub-sets of ''woman poets'' and ''poets in exile''.

Early poets

Siddhacharyas (6th to 12th CE)

The poets of the '' Charyāpada (

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

: চর্যাপদ)'', known as the Siddhacharyas, lived in

eastern India East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal and also the union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The region roughly corresponds to the historical region of Magadha fr ...

and

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. The names of the Siddhacharyas in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

(or its

Tibetan language Tibetan language may refer to: * Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard * Lhasa Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dialect * Any of the other Tibetic languages See also *Old Tibetan, the language ...

equivalent), and the

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

in which the verse was to be sung, are mentioned prior to each pada (verse). The surviving 50 manuscripts contains the name of 24 Siddhacharyas including Lui Pa, Kukkuri Pa, Birua Pa, Gundari Pa, Chatil Pa, Bhusuku Pa, Kanha Pa, Kambalambar Pa, Dombi Pa, Shanti Pa, Mahitta Pa, Bina Pa, Saraha Pa, Shabar Pa, Aryadeb Pa, Dhendhan Pa, Darik Pa, Bhade Pa, Tadak Pa, Kankan Pa, Ja’anandi Pa, Dham Pa, Tanti Pa and Loridombi Pa. Most of these names were pseudonyms as the poets rejected Vedic Hinduism and profess Sahajayana

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

. Lui Pa is considered as the earliest poet of Charyapadas. Kanha Pa's 11 poems survived which is the largest number among these poets. The poets and their works as mentioned in the text are as follows:

Medieval Poets

Founders of modern Bengali poetry

Amiya Chakravarty Amiya Chandra Chakravarty (1901–1986) was an Indian literary critic, academic, and Bengali poet. He was a close associate of Rabindranath Tagore, and edited several books of his poetry. He was also an associate of Gandhi, and an expert on the ...

Bishnu Dey Bishnu Dey ( bn, বিষ্ণু দে; 18 July 1909 – 3 December 1982) was a Bengalis, Bengali poet, writer and academician in the era of modernism, post-modernism. Starting off as a symbologist, he won recognition for the musical quality ...

Sudhindranath Dutta Sudhindranath Dutta (30 October 1901 – 25 June 1960) was an Indian poet, essayist, journalist and critic. Sudhindranath is one of the most notable poets after the Tagore-era in Bengali literature. Education Sudhindranath Dutt went to the Theo ...

Buddhadev Bose Buddhadeva Bose (; 1908–1974), also spelt Buddhadeb Bosu, was an Indian Bengali writer of the 20th century. Frequently referred to as a poet, he was a versatile writer who wrote novels, short stories, plays and essays in addition to poetry. H ...

Sukanta Bhattacharya Sukanta Bhattacharya ( bn, সুকান্ত ভট্টাচার্য) (; 15 August 1926 – 13 May 1947) was a Bengali poet and playwright. He was called 'Young Nazrul' and 'Kishore Bidrohi Kobi', a reference to the great rebel poet ...

Ahsan Habib Ahsan Habib (2 January 1917 – 10 July 1985) was a Bangladeshi poet and literary figure in Bengali culture. He was born in the village of Shankarpasha, in Pirojpur. Before the India-Pakistan partition, he worked on several literary magazines: ' ...

Farrukh Ahmad Syed Farrukh Ahmad ( bn, সৈয়দ ফররুখ আহমদ; 10 June 1918 – 19 October 1974), later simply known as Farrukh Ahmad, was a Bangladeshi poet and author. He is commonly known as the ''poet of the Muslim renaissance'', as ...

Syed Ali Ahsan Syed Ali Ahsan ( bn, সৈয়দ আলী আহসান; 26 March 1922 – 25 June 2002) was a Bangladeshi poet, writer and university academic. He was awarded Ekushey Padak (1982) and Independence Day Award (1987) by the Government of Bang ...

* Shamsur Rahman *

Al Mahmud Mir Abdus Shukur Al Mahmud (known as Al Mahmud; 11 July 1936 – 15 February 2019) was a Bangladeshi poet, novelist, and short-story writer. He is considered one of the greatest Bengali poets to have emerged in the 20th century. His work in Be ...

Abul Hasan Abu Al-Hasan ( ar, أبو الحسن, Abū Al-Ḥasan, Father of Hasan), also transliterated Abu'l Hasan, is an Arabic ''kunya'' ('teknonym'). It may refer to: Notable people Politics and military * Ali ibn Abi Talib (600–661), the fourth ...

* Quazi Johirul Islam *

Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah ( bn, রুদ্র মুহম্মদ শহিদুল্লাহ; 16 October 1956 – 21 June 1991) was a Bangladeshi poet noted for his revolutionary and romantic poetry. He is considered one of the leading ...

* Girindramohini Dasi

Bengali poets from other parts of the world

Abdul Gaffar Choudhury Abdul Gaffar Choudhury (12 December 1934 – 19 May 2022) was a Bangladeshi-born British writer, journalist, columnist, political analyst and poet. He wrote the lyrics to "Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano", a widely celebrated song commemorating the ...

Shamim Azad Shamim Azad ( bn, শামীম আজাদ; born 11 November 1952) Upcoming Events is a Bangladeshi-born British bilingual poet, storyteller and writer. Early life Azad was born in Mymensingh, Dhaka, East Bengal (now Bangladesh) (the town w ...

Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin (born 25 August 1962) is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, physician, feminist, secular humanist, and activist. She is known for her writing on women's oppression and criticism of religion. Some of her books are banned in Bangladesh ...

Abid Azad Abid Azad ( bn, আবিদ আজাদ; 16 November 1952 – 22 March 2005) was an eminent Bangladeshi poet, critic and literary editor. Azad was the author of 19 books of poetry including ''Ghaser Ghatana'' (1976), ''Amar Mon Kemon Kore'' (1 ...

Hungryalist poets

Shakti Chattopadhyay Shakti Chattopadhyay (25 November 1933 – 23 March 1995) was an Indian poet and writer who wrote in Bengali. He is known for his realistic depictions of rural life. He was a green poet, many of his poems raised the issue of nature in crisis. T ...

Binoy Majumdar Binoy Majumdar ( bn, বিনয় মজুমদার) (17 September 1934 – 11 December 2006) was a Bengali poet. Binoy received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2005. Biography Binoy Majumdar was born in Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) on 17 Septe ...

Samir Roychoudhury Samir Roychowdhury (Bengali: সমীর রায়চৌধুরী) (1 November 1933 – 22 June 2016), one of the founding fathers of the Hungry Generation (also known as Hungryalism or Hungrealism (1961–1965)), was born at Panihati, ...

Malay Roy Choudhury Malay Roy Choudhury (born 29 October 1939) is an Indian Bengali poet, playwright, short story writer, essayist and novelist who founded the Hungryalist movement in the 1960s. Early life and education Malay Roy Choudhury was born in Patna, ...

Subimal Basak Subimal Basak, ( bn, সুবিমল বসাক) is an Indian fiction writer. He is a member of the Hungry generation, with Samir Roychoudhury, Falguni Roy, Shakti Chattopadhyay and the movement's creator Malay Roy Choudhury. The Hungry G ...

Metrical poets

Annada Shankar Ray Annada Shankar Ray (15 March 1904 – 28 October 2002) was an Indian poet and essayist in Bengali. He also wrote some Odia poetry. He wrote several Bengali poems criticising the Partition of India. Most notable is "''Teler shishi bhaanglo bole k ...

Sukumar Ray Sukumar Ray (; 30 October 1887 – 10 September 1923) was a Bengali writer and poet from the Indian subcontinent. He is remembered mainly for his writings for children. He was the son of children's story writer Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury and ...

* Shamsur Rahman * Motiur Rahman Mollik (1950–2010) *

Abu Zafar Obaidullah Abu Zafar Obaidullah (1934–2001) was a Bangladeshi poet. Two of his long poems, ''Aami-Kingbodontir-Kathaa Bolchi'' and ''Bristi O Shahosi Purush-er Jonyo Pranthona'', have become famous since their first publication in the late 1970s. Li ...

* Rafiqul Haque * Fayez Ahmed * Ekhlasuddin Ahmed *

Abdur Rahman Abd al-Rahman ( ar, عبد الرحمن, translit=ʿAbd al-Raḥmān or occasionally ; DMG ''ʿAbd ar-Raḥman''; also Abdul Rahman) is a male Arabic Muslim given name, and in modern usage, surname. It is built from the Arabic words '' Abd'', '' ...

Nirmalendu Goon Nirmalendu Goon (born 21 June 1945) is a Bangladeshi poet known for his accessible verse. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2001 and Independence Day Award by the Government of Bangladesh in 2016. He was also awarded the Bangla Academy Literary ...

Asad Chowdhury Asad Chowdhury (born 11 February 1943) is a poet, writer, translator, radio, television personality and journalist, as well as a cultural activist in Bangladesh. He won Ekushey Padak in 2013 and Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1987. Early life ...

Bimal Guha Bimal Guha (born 27 October 1952) is a Bangladeshi poet. He appeared on the Bangladesh literary scene in the 1970s. His themes revolve around the war of liberation and the eternal subjects of love, nature, motherland, mother-tongue, tradition, a ...

Shahabuddin Nagari Shahabuddin Nagari ( bn, শাহাবুদ্দীন নাগরী; born 6 October 1955) is a modern poet of Bangladesh, who appeared in the 1970s and gained pre-eminence as a lyricist. According to literary critic Abdul Mannan Syed, "S ...

Song composers

Lalon Shah Lalon ( bn, লালন; 14 October 1772 – 17 October 1890), also known as Lalon Shah, Lalon Fakir, Shahji and titled Fakir, Shah, was a prominent Bengali spiritual leader, philosopher, mystic poet and social reformer. Regarded as an icon of ...

Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Tagore (; bn, রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He resh ...

Dwijendralal Ray Dwijendralal Ray (19 July 1863 – 17 May 1913), also known as D. L. Ray, was an Indian poet, playwright, and musician. He was known for his Hindu mythological and nationalist historical plays and songs known as ''Dwijendrageeti'' or the ''So ...

Atulprasad Sen Atul Prasad Sen ( bn, অতুল প্রসাদ সেন; 20 October 1871 – 26 August 1934) was a Bengali composer, lyricist and singer, and also a lawyer, philanthropist, social worker, educationist and writer. Early life Atul Prasad ...

Rajanikanta Sen Rajanikanta Sen, also known as Kantakobi, (26 July 1865 – 13 September 1910) was a Bengali poet and composer, known for his devotional (bhakti) compositions, as well as his patriotic songs. Early life, education and profession File:Guruprasad ...

Kazi Nazrul Islam Kazi Nazrul Islam ( bn, কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম, ; 24 May 1899 – 29 August 1976) was a Bengali poet, Bengali literature, writer, Bangladeshi music, musician, and is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul is regarded as one ...

Hason Raja Dewan Hason Raja Chowdhury, or simply known as Hason Raja ( bn, হাসন রাজা; 21 December 1854 – 6 December 1922), was a Bengali mystic poet and songwriter from Sylhet, Bengal Presidency (now Bangladesh). His unique style of mu ...

Kangal Harinath Harinath Majumdar (22 July 1833 – 16 April 1896), better known as Kangal Harinath, was a Bengali journalist, poet and Baul singer. Early life and career Harinath was born in Kumarkhali village, Kushtia District, now in Bangladesh. He took up ...

Shah Abdul Karim Baul Shah Abdul Karim ( bn, শাহ আবদুল করিম; 15 February 1916 — 12 September 2009) was a Bangladeshi Baul musician. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2001 by the Government of Bangladesh. Some of his notable songs inclu ...

Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal Abu Hena Mustafa Kamal (11 March 1936 – 23 September 1989) was a Bangladeshi songwriter, poet, essayist, critic and presenter. In his early life, he was a singer on East Bengal radio and television. He was a professor of Bengali literature at t ...

* Motiur Rahman Mollik *

Anjan Dutt Anjan Dutt (Bengali: অঞ্জন দত্ত) is an Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter known for his work in the Bengali alternative music genre ''anyodharar gaan''. As an actor, Dutt began his career in Bengali cinema i ...

Kabir Suman Kabir Suman (born Suman Chattopadhyay; 16 March 1949) is an Indian music director, songwriter, singer, composer, politician, and former journalist.

* Nachiketa *

Gobinda Haldar Gobinda Halder (1930 – 17 January 2015) was a Bengali lyricist and poet. He wrote patriotic songs during Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 which include "Mora Ekti Phulke Bachabo Bole Juddho Kori", "Ek Sagor Rokter Binimoye Banglar Swadhinata ...

Poets of Kolkata

* Joy Goswami * Sunil Gangopadhyaya *

Ekram Ali Ekram Ali ( bn, একরাম আলি; born 1 July 1950) is an Indian Bengali poet and critic. Life Ali was born in Teghoria (Dist. Birbhum, West Bengal) of a Bengali Muslim parentage. Before he came to Kolkata and took up journalism in a Beng ...

Subodh Sarkar Subodh Sarkar ( bn, সুবোধ সরকার; born 1958 in Krishnanagar) is a Bengali poet, writer and editor, and a reader in English literature at City College, Kolkata. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award. Biog ...

* Srijato

Poets of North Bengal

* Bikash Sarkar

Bibliography

* Biletey Bishsotoker Bangla Kobi, Rabbani Choudhury,

Agamee Prakashani Agamee Prakashani () is a Bangladeshi publishing house located in Dhaka. It was founded in 1986 by Osman Gani. As of 2015, it has more than 2000 publications in both Bengali and English. Awards Agamee Prakashani has won several awards, including: ...

, Dhaka 2000 * Bangladesher Gronthoponji Boimela 2009, Rabbani Choudhury, Agamee Prakashani, Dhaka 2009 * Shanghati Tritio Banglar Lekok Porichithi Boimela 2009, Shanghati Literary Society, UK

References

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