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 Bengali poetry is dominated by his frequent use of regional dialects. In the 1950s he was among those Bengali poets who were outspoken in their writing on such subjects as the events of the Bengali Language Movement, nationalism, political and economical repression, and the struggle against the West Pakistani government.

Early life and career

Al Mahmud was born on 11 July 1936 at Morail Village of

Brahmanbaria District Brahmanbaria District () is a district in eastern Bangladesh located in the Chittagong Division. Geographically, it is mostly farmland and is topographically part of the Gangetic Plain. It is bounded by the districts of Kishoreganj District, Kish ...

in present-day Bangladesh into a

Bengali Muslim Bengali Muslims (; ) 'Mussalman'' also used in this work./ref> are adherents of Islam who ethnically, linguistically and genealogically identify as Bengalis. Comprising over 70% of the global Bengali population, they are the second-largest ...

'' Zamindar'' family that had the hereditary title of ''Mir''. The ancestors of the family had migrated to the

Indian Subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

to preach

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. His father Mir Abdur Rab and mother Raushan Ara Mir were cousins. His grandfather Mir Abdul Wahhab Mullah was a ''

Mullah Mullah () is an honorific title for Islam, Muslim clergy and mosque Imam, leaders. The term is widely used in Iran and Afghanistan and is also used for a person who has higher education in Islamic theology and Sharia, sharia law. The title h ...

'' and ''Zamindar'' in Brahmanbaria district. Mir Abdul Wahhab was also a teacher and cleric in his local village school. His childhood and secondary education days were spent in this village which is located adjacent to Brahmanbaria town. Mahmud started his career as a journalist. He obtained widespread recognition after ''Lok Lokantor'' was published in 1963. In succession, he then penned ''Kaler Kalosh'' (1966), ''Sonali Kabin'' (1973), and ''Mayabi Porda Dule Otho'' (1976). His other notable poetic collections include ''Arobbo Rojonir Rajhash'', ''Bakhtiyarer Ghora'' and ''Nodir Bhitorer Nodi''. In addition to writing poetry, he wrote short stories, novels and essays such as ''Pankourir Rakta'' and ''Upamohadesh''. In 1971 he went to India and worked there to build public opinion in favour of the Liberation War of Bangladesh. After the war, he joined ''The Daily Ganakantha'' as the assistant editor. He was jailed for a year during the regime of the

Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

government. Later, he joined Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1975 and retired in 1993 as director of the academy.

Literary work

Al Mahmud's literary work ''Shonali Kabin'' published in 1973, is considered as a landmark of Bengali poetry. Philosopher Sibnarayan Ray commented:

Selected works

Awards

* Bangla Academy Literary Award (1968) * Joy Bangla Award (1972) * Humayun Kabir Memorial Award (1972) * Jibonananda Memorial Award (1972) * Kaji Motaher Hossain Literary Award (1976) * Kabi Jasim Uddin Award * Philips Literary Award (1986) *

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

(1986) * Nasir Uddin Gold Award (1990) * Chattagram Sangskriti Kendro Farrukh Memorial Award (1995) * Alakta Literary Award * Lalon Award (2011) * Independence Award (2025)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mahmud, Al 1936 births 2019 deaths People from Brahmanbaria district Bangladeshi male poets Bangladeshi male novelists Bengali-language poets 20th-century Bangladeshi poets 20th-century Bengali poets 20th-century Bangladeshi male writers Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Recipients of Bangla Academy Award Deaths from pneumonia in Bangladesh Recipients of the Independence Award