Abdullah Abu Sayeed | |
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![]() Sayeed in 2014 | |
Native name | আবদুল্লাহ্ আবু সায়ীদ |
Born | Park Circus, Calcutta, British India (now India) | 25 July 1940
Occupation | Teacher, writer, television presenter, activist |
Nationality | Bangladeshi |
Education | |
Alma mater | |
Notable awards |
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Abdullah Abu Sayeed (born 25 July 1940) is a Bangladeshi educator, writer, television presenter, and activist. He is the founder and chairman of Bishwa Sahitya Kendra, a non-profit organization that promotes the study of literature, reading habits and progressive ideas.
Sayeed was born on 25 July 1939, to a Bengali Muslim family in Park Circus, Calcutta. [1] [2] His father was Azimuddin Ahmed, a teacher of English and Bengali literature, and a playwright. [3] [4] Their ancestral home was in Kamargati, Bagerhat District. [5] Sayeed passed the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam from Radhanagar Mojumder Academy (School & College), Pabna in 1955 and the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exam from Prafulla Chandra College in Bagerhat in 1957. He later earned BA and MA degrees in Bengali from the University of Dhaka in 1960 and 1961 respectively. [3] While studying at University of Dhaka, he organized, along with others, Birth Centenary of the Nobel Laureate Poet Rabindranath Tagore. [6]
Sayeed started his career as a guest teacher at Government Haraganga College, Munshiganj. Then he taught at Sylhet Women college for some time. In 1962 he joined Rajshahi College as a full-time teacher. After 5 months he joined Government Science College, Dhaka. He was also an acting principal for 2 years when he was only 23 years old. He also taught Bangla as a part-time lecturer at BUET. He took voluntary retirement as a professor in April 1992. [7]
Sayeed gave an interview for the post of assistant professor. Being impressed by Sayeed's brilliance and personality, Dhaka College's renowned principal Jalaluddin Ahmed invited Sayeed to Dhaka College. Sayeed later became the department head of the Bengali language at Dhaka College. [8] He was very popular among his students. It is said that even students from other colleges came to attend his classes. He wrote a book on his teaching career named Nishfola Mather Krishok (Farmer of an infertile land). He edited the literary magazine Kanthashar (The Voice) in the 1960s which promoted a new trend in Bangladeshi literature. [1] [2]
Sayeed started participating in TV programs from 1966. At first, he was presenter of children's programs and quiz programs. [9] In the mid-1970s, he started presenting Shaptabarna (Seven Colors), a TV show on Bangladesh Television.[ citation needed ] Saptabarna was telecast once a week. It was a 90 minute long program. In the 1970s and 1980s, he also presented TV show Eid Anadamela. He received the National Television Award in 1977. [10]
In 1978, he founded the Bishwa Sahitya Kendra . He has close association with Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA) and Transparency International Bangladesh' (TIB). [11]
Sayeed has written and edited more than 50 books. [12]
Humayun Ahmed was a Bangladeshi novelist, dramatist, screenwriter, filmmaker, songwriter, scholar, and academic. His breakthrough was his debut novel Nondito Noroke published in 1972. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books. He was one of the most popular authors and filmmakers in post-independence Bangladesh. Pakistani English newspaper Dawn referred to him as the cultural legend of Bangladesh.
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Bishwo Shahitto Kendro (BSK), is a non-profit institution in Bangladesh to promote reading habits, enlightenment and progressive ideas among students and general public. Popularly known as just Bhrammaman Library, this institution was established by famous writer, television presenter, organiser, and activist Abdullah Abu Sayeed. Sayeed was given the 97th Ramon Magsaysay Award in Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts for "... cultivating in the youth of Bangladesh a love for literature and its humanizing values through exposure to the great books of Bengal and the world" – which was a recognition of the contribution of the library.
Abdullah Al Mamun was a Bangladeshi playwright, actor, and filmmaker. He earned the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1978 and the Ekushey Padak in 2000 from the Government of Bangladesh. As a filmmaker, he won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Director twice for the direction of the films Ekhoni Somoy (1980) and Dui Jibon (1988).
Muhamed Mianudin Ahmed (Selim Al Deen) (18 August 1949 – 14 January 2008) was a Bangladeshi playwright and theatre artist. He was the founder chairperson of the Department of Drama and Dramatics at Jahangirnagar University. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1984 and Ekushey Padak in 2007 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution to theatre and won the Independence Award in 2023 for his contribution to the field of literature.
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