| Zafar, Sikander Abu (1919-1975)
litterateur and journalist, was born at Tentulia in Satkhira (greater
Khulna) on 19 March 1919 where his grandfather Syed Alam Shah Hashemi
had settled after coming from Peshwar in Pakistan. His full name is Syed
Al Hashemi Abu Zafar Muhammad Bakht Sikander.
He passed Entrance examination (1936) from the neighbouring Tala
B Dey Institute and received his IA degree from Ripon College,
Kolkata. He started his career in the military accounts section
(1939) in Kolkata and then applied for a job in the civil supply
office. He also worked with the Globe News Agency of Satyendranath
Majumdar for some time while operating his own business.
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Sikander
Abu Zafar |
He came to Dhaka from Kolkata in 1950 and worked as a
journalist for the Daily nabajug,
the ittefaq,
the sangbad
and the Millat. He founded and edited (1959-1970) a monthly magazine
called samakal.
He also set up a printing press called Samakal Mudrayan and a publishing
house named Samakal Prakashani in 1958.
Abu Zafar was one of the champions of the cultural movement
that propagated Bengali nationalism in East Bengal in the 1960's. During
the war of
liberation in 1971, he composed a number of lyrics of patriotic
and revolutionary nature to encourage the people of his country. His song
'Amader sangram chalbei' (Our struggle must continue) inspired people
through out the country during the liberation war.
Although he is chiefly remembered as a poet, he was also proficient in prose. Noteworthy among his works are the, novels, Purabi (a certain musical note, 1941), Natun Sakal (New dawn, 1946), the short stories, Mati ar Ashru (Soil and tears, 1942), the collection of poems, Prasanna Shahar (Cheerful city, 1965), Timirantik (At the end of darkness, 1965), Bairi Brstite (In the pelting rain, 1965), Brshchik-Lagna (The scorpion-time, 1971), Bangla Chado (Leave Bengal, 1971), the plays, Siraj-ud-Daula (1965) and Mahakabi Alaul (1966), and a collection of songs, Malava Kaushik (1966).
His translated works include Yadur Kalas (Magical
pitcher, 1959), Saint Luier Setu (The Saint Louis bridge, 1961),
Rubayyat: Omar Khayyam (Quatrains of Omar Khayyam, 1966), etc.
He was awarded the Bangla Academy Award (1966) for his plays and the Ekushey
Padak (1984, posthumous). He died in Dhaka on 5 August 1975. He lies buried
at Banani graveyard. [Golam Kibria Pinu] |
