Literature Desk :
Shawkat Ali (12 February 1936 – 25 January 2018) writer, was born in Raiganj in West Dinajpur district in the Bengal Presidency, British India. He passed his IA from Surendranath College in 1951 and BA in 1955. He completed his MA in Bengali literature from the University of Dhaka in 1958.
Ali started writing articles in newspapers in 1955. He started his career at the news desk of Dainik Millat in the same year. He worked in Thakurgaon as a schoolteacher for six months. He taught Bengali at Jagannath College in Dhaka between 1962 and 1987. He joined the Dhaka head office of District Gazetteer as an Assistant Director and later became its Director. He was appointed Principal of Government Music College in 1989 from where he retired in 1993.
Ali’s notable novels include Prodoshe Prakritojon (1984), Opekkha (1984) and Dakkhinyaoner Din (1985). Prodoshe Prakritojon is his most notable – which tells the story of the oppression faced by the lower-caste people in the times of Sena Empire that ruled the Bengal through 11th and 12th centuries. Uttarer Khep was adapted into a film of the same name in 2000. The film won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress for the best performance by an actress for Champa.
His Novels are : Pingol Akash (The Reddish-Brown Sky, 1963), Jaatra (Journey, 1976), Prodoshe Prakritajon (The Commoners in the Twilghat, 1984), Opeksha (Waiting, 1985), Dakshinayanor Din (The Days of Southward Way, 1985), Kulyaai Kalosrot (Time the Flow of in a Bird’s Nest, 1986), Purboratri Purbodin (The Night Before, the Day Before, 1986), Sombol (Saving, 1986), Gontobye Otohpor (After towards Destinations, 1987), Bhalobasa Kare Koy (What is Love Caused, 1988), Jete Chai (I want to Go, 1988), Warish (The Successor, 1989), Basor O Madhucondrima (Bride-Chamber and Honey Moon, 1990), Uttorer Khep (A Trip to the North, 1991), Tripodi (2002)
He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award (1968), Humayun Kabir Memorial Award, Lekhak Shibir Medal (1978), Ajit Guha Literary Prize (1982), Philips Literary Award (1986 and 1989), Ekushey Padak (1990)
The humanist novelist breathed his last on January 25, 2018. Ali has two sons including Shawkat Kollol.
References: ‘Prominent writer Shawkat Ali passes away”. The Daily Star. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018. , [Winners list] (in Bengali). Bangla Academy. Retrieved 23 August 2017. [Ekushey Padak winners list] (in Bengali). Government of Bangladesh. Retrieved 23 August 2017. ‘The pen stops.’ The Daily Star. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-26. The Daily Ittefaq. 2014- 2018-01-26. n
Shawkat Ali (12 February 1936 – 25 January 2018) writer, was born in Raiganj in West Dinajpur district in the Bengal Presidency, British India. He passed his IA from Surendranath College in 1951 and BA in 1955. He completed his MA in Bengali literature from the University of Dhaka in 1958.
Ali started writing articles in newspapers in 1955. He started his career at the news desk of Dainik Millat in the same year. He worked in Thakurgaon as a schoolteacher for six months. He taught Bengali at Jagannath College in Dhaka between 1962 and 1987. He joined the Dhaka head office of District Gazetteer as an Assistant Director and later became its Director. He was appointed Principal of Government Music College in 1989 from where he retired in 1993.
Ali’s notable novels include Prodoshe Prakritojon (1984), Opekkha (1984) and Dakkhinyaoner Din (1985). Prodoshe Prakritojon is his most notable – which tells the story of the oppression faced by the lower-caste people in the times of Sena Empire that ruled the Bengal through 11th and 12th centuries. Uttarer Khep was adapted into a film of the same name in 2000. The film won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actress for the best performance by an actress for Champa.
His Novels are : Pingol Akash (The Reddish-Brown Sky, 1963), Jaatra (Journey, 1976), Prodoshe Prakritajon (The Commoners in the Twilghat, 1984), Opeksha (Waiting, 1985), Dakshinayanor Din (The Days of Southward Way, 1985), Kulyaai Kalosrot (Time the Flow of in a Bird’s Nest, 1986), Purboratri Purbodin (The Night Before, the Day Before, 1986), Sombol (Saving, 1986), Gontobye Otohpor (After towards Destinations, 1987), Bhalobasa Kare Koy (What is Love Caused, 1988), Jete Chai (I want to Go, 1988), Warish (The Successor, 1989), Basor O Madhucondrima (Bride-Chamber and Honey Moon, 1990), Uttorer Khep (A Trip to the North, 1991), Tripodi (2002)
He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award (1968), Humayun Kabir Memorial Award, Lekhak Shibir Medal (1978), Ajit Guha Literary Prize (1982), Philips Literary Award (1986 and 1989), Ekushey Padak (1990)
The humanist novelist breathed his last on January 25, 2018. Ali has two sons including Shawkat Kollol.
References: ‘Prominent writer Shawkat Ali passes away”. The Daily Star. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018. , [Winners list] (in Bengali). Bangla Academy. Retrieved 23 August 2017. [Ekushey Padak winners list] (in Bengali). Government of Bangladesh. Retrieved 23 August 2017. ‘The pen stops.’ The Daily Star. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2018-01-26. The Daily Ittefaq. 2014- 2018-01-26. n
