Humayun Ahmed

Humayun Ahmed was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and academic. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books during his life. The Pakistani English newspaper Dawn referred to him as the cultural legend of Bangladesh.

Early life and education

Ahmed was born on 13 November 1948 in the Moulvi Bari of Kutubpur. This location was in the Netrokona mahakuma within the Mymensingh district of East Bengal. His father, Faizur Rahman Ahmed, served as a sub-divisional police officer in Pirojpur District until he was killed in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. His mother, Ayesha Foyez, worked as a housewife.

During his childhood, he lived in several locations including Sylhet, Comilla, Chittagong, Bogra, and Dinajpur because of his father's official assignments. He attended Chittagong Collegiate School before passing the SSC examination from Bogura Zilla School in 1965. After completing his HSC at Dhaka College, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Chemistry from the University of Dhaka.

He later obtained a PhD in polymer chemistry from North Dakota State University. Upon returning to Bangladesh, he taught in the department of chemistry at the University of Dhaka for several years.

Career

Ahmed achieved his breakthrough in 1972 with the publication of his debut novel, Nondito Noroke. He wrote this work during the 1971 Bangladesh independence war while he was a university student. His writing often focused on the aspirations of average middle-class urban families. He authored various fictional series featuring recurring characters like Himu, who appeared in 21 novels, and Misir Ali, who featured in 19 novels and 11 short stories.

In the early 1990s, he emerged as a filmmaker and produced a total of eight films. Every film he directed was based on his own novels. His first film, Aguner Poroshmoni, was released in 1994 and won eight categories at the 19th Bangladesh National Film Awards. Other notable films include Daruchini Dip, Shonkhonil Karagar, Dui Duari, Shyamol Chhaya, and Ghetuputra Komola.

His cinematic work reached international attention when two of his films were submitted for the Academy Awards. Shyamol Chhaya was selected for the 78th Academy Awards, while Ghetuputra Komola was submitted for the 85th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

As a television personality, he directed his first drama, Prothom Prohor, in 1983. He also created several popular series such as Ei Shob Din Ratri and Kothao Keu Nei. Beyond writing and directing, he composed approximately 40 songs based on the folk music of north-eastern Bangladesh. These songs were used extensively in his films and television dramas.

Personal life

Ahmed belonged to a family of intellectuals and artists. His brother, Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, is an academician and writer. Another brother, Ahsan Habib, works as a cartoonist. He had three sisters named Sufia Haider, Momtaz Shahid, and Rukhsana Ahmed.

Awards and recognition

He received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1981. In 1994, he was honored with the Ekushey Padak for his contributions to Bengali literature. His success in cinema was also significant, as he won the National Film Awards a record seven times for directing, screenplay, and story.

Various figures offered high praise for his literary impact. Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus stated that Ahmed's works were the most profound since the time of Tagore and Nazrul. Poet Al Mahmud suggested that a new golden age of Bengali literature began with Ahmed. However, some critics disagreed with his perspectives; author Shahriar Kabir dismissed him for speaking for the establishment, and critic Azfar Hussain described him as ignorant.