Asad Chowdhury

Asad Chowdhury (Bengali: আসাদ চৌধুরী; born 11 February 1943) is a poet, writer, translator, radio, TV personality and journalist, as well as a cultural activist in Bangladesh.^[1]

He received a Masters in Bengali in 1964 from Dhaka University and is the father of two sons and one daughter. Chowdhury is a former director at the Bangla Academy, Dhaka and worked as an editor at the Bengali service of Deutsche Welle after his retirement. During the liberation war of Bangladesh, Chowdhury was a contributor and broadcaster of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra in Kalkata. He started his profession as a lecturer in Bengali language and literature at Brahmanbaria College in 1973. He has also been assistant editor in “The Joybangla” (Kalkata, 1971) and in “The Daily Janapada” (Dhaka, February 1973). He was a correspondent for The Daily Purbodesh from 1968 to 1971.

He is a life member of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh and a fellow of Bangla Academy, Dhaka, as well as being the ex-Vice President of The Radio and TV Artists Association. He has held many other positions over his life, including:

• Life member of Bigana Samskriti Parshad, Dhaka
• Life member of Bhasha Sammmiti, Dhaka
• Member of the Presidium Jatyo Kabita Utsabe, Dhaka
• Founder, President of Deutsche Banglische Geselschaft E.V. Bonn, Koln, Germany Ex-Member, R.F.F.U.
• Founder, Vice-President of Chandradeep, Dhaka
• Founder, Vice-President of the Bangladesh Writers Club, Dhaka
• An associated Member of the National Press Club, Dhaka
• Founder President of the Bengali-Urdu Sahitya Foundation

Publications

Poems

• BAL AMAR
• Tabak Deya Pan, 1975
• Bitto Nai Besat Nai, 1976
• Ekka Dokka, 1980
• Joler Madhye Lekhajokha, 1982
• Je Pare Paruk, 1983
• Modhya Math Theke, 1984
• Megher Julum Pakhir Julum, 1987
• Nadio Bibastro Hoi, 1992
• Premer Kabita, 1992
• Garbo Amar Anek Kichur, 1994
• Tan Bhalobasher Kabita, 1996
• Batash Jemon Parchito, 1998
• Brishtir Sansare Ami Keo Noi 1998
• Kichu Phool Ami Niviye Diechi, 2003
• Prem o Prakritr Kobita, 2003
• Barir Kache Asri Nagar, 2003 (translation of the contemporary Urdu poets)

Folk tales

• Teen Rasarajer Adda, 1998
• Vin Desher Lok Kahini, 1998
• John Henry, 2001
• Chotother Mojar Golpo, 2001
• Annya Desher Lok-Kahini, 2004

Other

• Kon Alokar Phool, 1982 (essay)
• Rajanikanta Sen, 1989 (biography)
• Kabita Samagra, 2000
• Maichalengelo, 2001 (biography)

Translations

Chowdhury's publications have been translated into English, French, German, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam and published in the US, Canada, UK, France, India and Pakistan.

Cassettes

• Padavali (1981)
• Moder Garab Moder Asha (1985)
• Sangbarta (1989)
• Premer Kabira (1992)

Radio and TV production

He conducted Kathakali, a weekly program from 1973 to 1981, and prepared manuscripts for, conducted and participated in many programmes of Radio Bangladesh.

Other activities

Chowdhury participated in poetry sessions and recitations arranged by Bangla Academy, German Culture Institute, American Culture Centre, Alliance Francaise, Russian Cultural Centre, Iranian Cultural Centre, Islamic Foundation, as well as other cultural organisations of Bangladesh. He delivered a keynote in a seminar, organised by Afro Asian

More recently, he has read poems at a festival organised by the Bangladesh Association in Pittsburgh in 2000, and attended Mukti Judha Uthsab in Agartala, India in January 2001.

References