Literature Desk
Abdul Mannan Syed (1943-2010) was a renowned poet, author and researcher. A versatile writer and poet, he was one of the most prolific Bengali literary personalities of post-Partition days. Until his death on 5 September 2010, he was regarded an authority on Bengali literature. Popularly regarded as a poet, he is most notable as a literary critic and editor. Born as Syed Abdul Mannan, he assumed the pen name Ashoke Syed at the debut in literature in 1960s. He published more than 150 titles to his credit during his lifetime. His works on poet Jibanananda Das and Kazi Nazrul Islam are not only seminal but also monumental in form, content and quality.
He was born in a village called Jalalpur, on the rivulet Ichamati, in the district of Chabbish Porgona, in West Bengal of undivided India. That was 1943, the year of great famine. In 1950 the family of Mannnan Syed came from West Bengal and settled in Dhaka, They first lived in Gopibagh of Dhaka town. Shortly his father bought a piece of land on the Green Road, formerly called Kuli Road. Since then 51 Green Road had been his address till his death in September 2010.
His father Syed A. M. Badruddoza was a public official who served in many places. He was very strict about the formal education of his children. He had six sons and four daughters. Mannan was married to his cousin Syra Syed Ranu. His only child was a daughter named Jinan Syed Shampa.
In 1958, Mannan Syed passed the Matriculation examination from the Nawabpur High School. In 1960, he passed the Intermediate from the Dhaka College. He studied Bengali language and literature in the Dhaka University from where he obtained his B. A and M. A. degrees, respectively, in 1963 and 1964. Most of his life he earned his livelihood as a teacher of Bengali language and literature in government colleges. He started his career as a lecturer in the M. C. College, Sylhet. He also taught in the Sheikh Borhanuddin College in Faridpur. However, he served in the Jagannath College for a long time from where he retired in 1998. He also served as the District Gazetteer for a period of time. Later he was appointed the Executive Director of the Nazrul Institute (2002-2004).
Abdul Mannan Syed is best known for his research on Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and Poet Jibanananda Das. Although he is most renowned for literary criticism, he is a versatile writer and poet. He taught as a faculty in the department of Bengali in the Jagannath College, Dhaka. He was the first Scholar-in-residence in Bangladesh at North South University. For a long time he was associated with the Shilpataru, a monthy literary magazine published from Dhaka by Poet Abid Azad.
He had been suffering from diabetes and cardiac troubles for a long time. On 27 August 2010, he fell sick while participating in an event of Channel Eye. On 5 September 2010, he was having an afternoon sleep when he suffered a massive cardiac arrest and succumbed to death just before Iftar. On the following day he was buried at the Azimpur graveyard after three Janazas at Green Road Jame-Masjid, BangIa Academy and Dhaka University Mosque. His death was widely mourned across the country. National dailies carried obituary on the following day. Next Friday, all dailies carried in the literary essays on his life and works. Electronic media also featured his death in a befitting manner.
His books of poems are:
Janmandho Kobita Guchcha (1967) Jotchna-Roudrer Chikitsha (1969) Matal Manchitro (1970) O Shongbedon O Joltorongo (1974) Selected Poems (1975) (Muktodhara publication) Kobita Company Pvt Ltd. (1982) Porabastab Kobita (1982) Park Street e Ek Ratri (1983) Mach Series (1984) Amar Sonnet (1990) Shokal Proshongsha Taar (1993) Nirobota Govirota Dui Bon Bole Kotha (1997) Selected Poems (2001) (Shomoy publication) Kobita Shomogro (2001) Kobitar Boi (2006) He Bondhur Bondhu He Priyotomo (2006) Premer Kobita (2007) Matal Kobita Pagol gody (2008) Ogrohyoner Nil Din (2008).
Abdul Mannan Syed’s novels are: Poriprekshiter Dasdasi (Slaves of Perspectives (1974) Kolkata (1980) Poramatir Kaj (Terra cotta, 1982) A-Te Ajgor (A for Ajogor, 1982) He Songsar He Lota (Oh the World, Oh the Creeper, 1982) Gavir Gavirtoro Osukh (Disease, Deep and Deeper, 1983) Probesh (Entrance, 1994) Kshuda Prem Agun (Hunger Love Fire, 1994) Shyamali Tomar Mukh (Shyamali Your Face,1997).
His editorial works : Life on Distant Shores, written by Abdur Rouf Choudhury, Bengali novel, published by Pathak Samabesh, Dhaka, 2003. New Horizon, written by Abdur Rouf Choudhury, Bengali novel, published by Pathak Samabesh, Dhaka, 2005. Bangladesher Chhara, jointly edited with Shahabuddin Nagari and Abid Azad by Shilpatoru Prakashani, Dhaka, 1987 Bagladesher Kabita, jointly edited with Shahabuddin Nagari and Abid Azad by Shilpatoru Prakashani, Dhaka, 1987.
Awards: Chattagram Sangskriti Kendra 1st Farrukh Memorial Award. Alaol Literary Award (1981) and Kobi Jasimuddin Award.
