Humayun Azad was a Bangladeshi poet, novelist, short-story writer, critic, linguist, columnist and professor of Dhaka University. He wrote more than sixty titles. He was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1986 for his contributions to Bengali linguistics. In 2012, the Government of Bangladesh honored him with Ekushey Padak posthumously for his contributions to Bengali literature.
Abdullah Abu Sayeed 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.
Humayun Kamrul Islam was a Bangladeshi actor and drama organiser. He worked in television dramas, movies and theatre plays. He won Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the film Matritto (2004). He was awarded Ekushey Padak posthumously in 2018 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Syed Ali Ahsan was a Bangladeshi poet, writer and university academic. He was awarded Ekushey Padak (1982) and Independence Day Award (1987) by the Government of Bangladesh. In 1987, he was selected as the National Professor of Bangladesh. He was credited as the official English translator of the National Anthem of Bangladesh.
Abdul Mannan Syed was a Bangladeshi poet, and critic. He is known for his considerable research works on Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jibanananda Das, Farrukh Ahmad, Syed Waliullah, Manik Bandyopadhyay, Bishnu De, Samar Sen, Roquiah Sakhawat Hossain, Abdul Ghani Hazari, Muhammad Wajed Ali, Prabodh Chandra Sen. From 2002 to 2004, he had been the executive director of Nazrul Institute.
Mohammad Nurul Huda is a Bangladeshi poet and novelist. Currently Huda is serving as the Director General of Bangla Academy from 12th July 2021.He has written more than fifty poetry books. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2015. Huda was born to Mohammad Sekander and Anjuman Ara Begum in Poak Khali of Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh on 30 September 1949.
Sardar Jainuddin was a Bangladeshi novelist. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1967 and Ekushey Padak in 1994 posthumously.
Bengali novels occupy a major part of Bengali literature. Though the first Bengali novel was Karuna O Phulmonir Bibaran (1852), the Bengali novel actually started its journey with Durgeshnandini written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1865. According to Ananda Sanker and Lila Ray, 'when the novel was introduced in Bengali in the middle of the 19th century, the form itself was new, the prose in which it was written was new, the secular tone was new in a country hitherto wholly dominated by religion, and the society in which and for which it was written was new' (p. 168). But some great novelists like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, Rabindranath Tagore, Manik Bandopadhyay, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay developed the newly introduced genre in such a way that 'new' changed into 'matured' through their works. Almost all these literary activities went on in full swing in Kolkata. Dhaka, on the other hand, could not participate in the early stage, but literature created by and of the people of Bangladesh area later on flourished with notable success.
Shayan Chowdhury Arnob, known professionally as Arnob, is a Bangladeshi singer-songwriter, musician, painter, filmmaker, animator and producer. Arnob was the founder of indie folk band Bangla which stayed active for a decade before going into hiatus in the late 2000s. Arnob continued performing with some of the band members as Arnob and Friends. He also briefly collaborated with Prayer Hall, a Bangladeshi rock band.
Mohammad Abul Kashem is generally considered as a pioneer and the architect of the historic Language Movement of Bangladesh. He was also a politician, author and an eminent educationist. He founded the Islamic-oriented Bengali cultural organisation Tamaddun Majlish.
Asad Chowdhury is a poet, writer, translator, radio, television personality and journalist, as well as a cultural activist in Bangladesh. He won Ekushey Padak in 2013 and Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1987.
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).
SM Aslam Talukder, known by his stage name Manna, was a Bangladeshi film actor and producer. Manly Hero title holder, Superstar Manna is hailed in the media as the Dhallywood Yuvraj, the Mahanayak and the Megastar.
Shawkat Ali was a Bangladeshi writer. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1968 and Ekushey Padak in 1990 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Abul Hussain was a Bangladeshi poet. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1980 and Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1963.
Shahid Quadri was a Bangladeshi poet and writer. For his poetry, he was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1973 and Ekushey Padak in 2011. His notable poems include "Uttoradhikar", "Tomake Obhibadon Priyotoma", "Kothao Kono Krondon Nei" and "Amar Chumbongulo Poucchey Dao".
Abdul Hye Sikder is a Bangladeshi poet. He is a former executive director of Nazrul Institute and vice president of Jatiya Nazrul Samaj. He received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2003.
Gazi Mazharul Anwar was a Bangladeshi film director, producer, lyricist, screenwriter and music director. He earned the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Lyricist a record six times for the films Tit for Tat (1992), Ajante (1996), Churiwala (2001), Lal Dariya (2002), Kokhono Megh Kokhono Brishti (2003) and Meyeti Ekhon Kothay Jabe (2016). He worked as a lyricist in the "Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra". He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2002 and Independence Day Award in 2021 by the government of Bangladesh.
Wasi Ahmed is an acclaimed Bangladeshi novelist and short story writer. His works in original and in translation have been anthologized in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and UK. He has co-authored and edited an anthology of South Asian short stories. Formerly a civil servant and diplomat, he is currently associated with the English daily The Financial Express as consulting editor, and contributes to a number of Bangla and English dailies. Among others, he contributes a weekly post-editorial column for The Financial Express.
