Badhan Sarkar
Ahsan Habib was a prominent Bangladeshi poet and litterateur in Bengali culture. He was a poet of urban society, both in language and sensibility. His poems reflect the social reality of his times and focus on the concerns of the middle class.
July 10 marks the 34th death anniversary of this paramount poet. Born on February 2, 1917 in Shankarpasha, Pirojpur district, Ahsan Habib started writing while still a student. His first poem was 'Mayer Kabar Pade Kishor'. He was a multidimensional writer and wrote many poems, novels, essays, literature and many more. He has been the Guardian of Literature in Independence-North Bangladesh for the long time as the editor of the daily Bengali newspaper. Before the India-Pakistan partition, he worked on several literary magazines. After coming Kolkata in 1937 he joined the ‘Takbir’ as assistant editor. Subsequently he worked in the ‘Bulbul’ and ‘The Saogat’ and he was a staff artiste at the Kolkata Centre of All India Radio. After partition he came to Dhaka and worked on ‘Daily Azad’, ‘Monthly Mohammadi’, ‘Daily Krishak’, ‘Daily Ittehad’, ‘Weekly Prabaha’ and also worked as the production adviser of Franklin Publications.
His first book of poetry was ‘Ratri Shesh’. Others include ‘Chhaya Horin’, ‘Shara Dupur’, ‘Ashay Boshoty’, ‘Megh Bole Chaitre Jabo’, ‘Duhate Dui Adim Pathar’, Premer Kabita, ‘Bidirna Darpane Mukh’ etc. He also wrote novels and children’s book. Among them the remarkable ones’ are Ranee Khaler Shako, Brishti Pare Tapur Tupur, Chutir Din Dupure and Aronno Neelima.
Habib’s poems reveal a subtle quality and a fondness for intellectual independence. His works are of excellence (in language as well as style) and intellectually very mature. He was modern by virtue of his understanding of the human situation. He delved deep into the multifaceted world of revolution, solitude and socio-economic conflicts. His polished language and modest sensibility brought him the reputation, recognition and fame.
Ahsan Habib was one of the exemplars of the first generation of modern Bangladeshi poets. He is one of the best famous novelist of all-time and was the only poet whose two poems were published in the Papua New Guinea, a country in Oceania published a collection of poems titled, “To Each My Blood and Other Hymns” to attract world attention in favour of Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971.
He was married to Sufia Khatun and was the father of two daughters. His son Moinul Ahsan Saber is a renowned Bengali novelist.
Ahsan Habib has been influential both as a poet and a literary editor in the 1940’s. This noteworthy writer received several awards for his literary achievements, including UNESCO Literary Prize, Bangla Academy Literary Award, Adamjee Literary Award, Jatiya Padak, Ekushey Padak, Abul Mansur Ahmed Memorial Prize and Nasiruddin Gold Medal.
