Profile - Faiz Ahmed

Faiz Ahmed

General Information

Poet, Journalists, Writer

Journalist, writer and cultural figure

Full Name: Faiz Ahmed

Date of Birth: May 02, 1926

Date of Death: February 20, 2012

Place of Birth: Bangladesh

Home District: Munshiganj

Nationality: Bangladeshi

Profile:

Faiz Ahmed (02 May 1926 - 20 February 2012) is a Bangladeshi journalist, writer and cultural figure. He was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 for his contribution to children's literature and in 1991 the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the Ekushey Padak for his contribution to journalism.

Ahmad was born in the village of Basailbhog in Bikrampur Pargana of Dhaka district in British India. The village now belongs to Munshiganj district. His father's name is Golam Mostafa Chowdhury and mother's name is Arjuda Banu.

Ahmad started his career in 1944 by writing for the Calcutta newspaper Saugat. After the partition of India he moved to Dhaka. He was the General Secretary of the Pakistan Sahitya Sangsad. He started mainstream journalism in 1947. At that time he was the chief reporter of Ittefaq, Sangbad, Azad and later Purbadesh newspapers. He was the editor of 'Hulloor' in 1950 and 'Swaraj' in 1971. He was appointed for a three-year term in 1969 to start a Bengali language program on Peking Radio.

At that time the Cultural Revolution began in China. He also ran a children's section called 'Sabuj Mela' on Dhaka Radio in 1952-54. After the war of liberation he became the first chief editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Later he worked as the editor-in-chief of the daily Bangabarta. He has been involved in cultural activities since he was a journalist. He was also the founding president of Sammilita Sangskritik Jote. He established the ancient art gallery 'Shilpangan' in Dhaka in 1992. He is the founder of the progressive library 'Socialist Archive'.

Ahmad came of a generation which found its true worth in shaping and upholding values. Commitment was all. Thoughts of pecuniary gain or worldly happiness were possibilities that remained beyond the pale of educated experience. It was these values which drew Ahmad into journalism, a job he did to near perfection almost to the end of his life. Like so many others of his generation inhabiting a riotous time in history, he considered journalism to be a profession that would render itself pointless if it did not inform through upholding truth and objectivity.

After the partition of India, Ahmad joined the Communist Party. He was one of those intellectual voices which over the decades added rich substance to Marxist philosophy. He was one of the leading figures in the cultural movement against the authoritarian rule of the Muslim League in 1949. He was imprisoned for four years from 1959 during the rule of Ayub Khan, the former military ruler of Pakistan. He was released after trial by a board constituted in the High Court. After the independence of Bangladesh, the former military ruler Ershad was imprisoned once again. During the Bangladesh War of Independence, he joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and helped in compiling various reports.

Ahmad covered the entirety of the Agartala conspiracy through reporting on the proceedings from the special tribunal. He never wavered in his belief that he needed to convey the bare truth to his readers.His diary entries for 1968 and early February 1969 remain a significant note to historical time.

In the 80's, Ahmad was elected a member of the syndicate for three years at Dhaka University and three years at Jahangirnagar University. He was the convener of the National Poetry Festival for the first five years. He was also elected a council member of the Bangla Academy in 1982. But later he resigned in protest of Ershad's military rule.

Ahmad was a member of a committee headed by Jahanara Imam against communal and religious forces and Jamaat-e-Islami. This committee formed a people's court in 1992 against the anti-Bangladesh forces. He was one of the 11 judges of that people's court.

Ahmad wrote rhymes and poems mainly for children and teenagers. The number of his books is about one hundred. Notable among Ahmad's books is 'Midnight Horseman'. The other two in this book series are: Satyababu is dead and Nandane Nandini. Among the rhyme books are 'Hey Kishore', 'Kamrul Hasan's Chitrashalaya', 'Guchh Chhara', 'Rimjhim', 'Bom Bom Katta', 'Putli', 'Tung', 'Jonaki', 'Juri Nei', 'Triyong', 'Fighting with a brush', 'Tutu', 'Ekaler Chhara', 'Chharaya Chharaya 200' are especially notable. He has also translated five books from different countries, including China. Of these, Ho Chi Minh's prison poems are notable.

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