Rizia Rahman (28 December 1939 – 16 August 2019)[1] was a Bangladeshi novelist.[2] She had a number of novels and short stories to her credit. Her works cut across all genres. She was best known for the novel Bong Theke Bangla.[3] She was the recipient of Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978).[4] As of 2018, she had published more than 50 novels and short story collections during her long career.[5]

Rizia Rahman
Native name
রিজিয়া রহমান
Born(1939-12-28)28 December 1939
Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died16 August 2019(2019-08-16) (aged 79)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
OccupationWriter
NationalityBangladeshi

Early life

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Rizia Rahman was born on 28 December 1939 in Bhabanipur, Kolkata.[5] Her family moved to Bangladesh, then known as East Bengal, after the 1947 Partition of India.[5] She began writing stories at the age of 8 and was published for the first time when she was 12.[6] Her stories and poems appeared in newspapers such as Satyajug and Sangbad.[7] Rahman studied at the University of Dhaka and graduated with a Master of Social Sciences in Economics.[7]

Career

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Rahman published her first collection of short stories, Agni Shakkora, while studying at the University of Dhaka.[7] Her novel Bong Theke Bangla was published in 1978 to critical acclaim, exploring the evolution of Bangladesh's nationality and language.[5] Her fourth novel, Rokter Okkhor, was inspired by an article called "The Prostitutes of Dhaka" which was published in Bichitra.[8] She was unable to conduct research for the book by visiting brothels herself, relying instead on weekly reports from a male journalist to gain an understanding of a sex worker's living conditions.[8] It created a huge stir in Bangladesh upon publication because of its frank depiction of prostitution in the country. In a 2016 translation of the book named Letters of Blood,[7] Rahman said, "I received a lot of praise for the book, but also had to endure an equal amount of abuse."[8]

Works

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Novels
  • Uttar Purush (Posterity, 1977)
  • Rokter Okkhor (Blood Words, 1978)
  • Bong Theke Bangla (Bengali to Bangla, 1978)
  • Alikhito Upakhyan (An Unwritten Story, 1980)
  • Surja Sabuj Rakta (Sun Green Blood, 1980)
  • Shhilay Shilay Agun (Stones in Fire, 1980)
  • Aranyer Kache (Near the Forest, 1980)
  • Dhabal Jyotsna (White Moon-light, 1980)
  • Ghar-Bhanga-Ghar (Broken-house, 1984)
  • Ekal Chirokal (Now and Eternity, 1984)
  • Prem Amar Prem (Love, My Love, 1985)
  • Jharer Mukhomukhi (Facing the Storm, 1986)
  • Ekti Phuler Janya (For a Flower, 1986)
  • Shudhu Tomader Janya (Only for You, 1988)
  • He manab Manabi (Oh! Man and Woman, 1989)
  • Harun Phereni (Harun did not Return, 1994)
  • Nodi Nirobodhi (2011)

Translated novels (English)

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  • Letters of Blood (Rokter Okkhor, 2016)

Short stories

  • Dura Kothao (2004)[9]
  • Caged in Paradise and Other Stories (2010)[10][11]

Awards

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Death

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Rahman died on 16 August 2019.[14][15][16]

References

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  1. ^ "Novelist Rizia Rahman passes away". UNB. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Through The Eyes of Rizia Rahman". The Daily Star. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  3. ^ "Rizia Rahman's Rokter Okshor". Bangladeshi Novels.
  4. ^ পুরস্কারপ্রাপ্তদের তালিকা [Winners list] (in Bengali). Bangla Academy. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d রিজিয়া রহমান (Rizia Rahman) - Portfolio of Bengali Author Rizia Rahman on authors.com.bd. authors.com.bd. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Through the Eyes of Rizia Rahman". The Daily Star. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Library of Bangladesh Presents". bengallights.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Rahman, Rizia (2018). Letters of Blood. Kolkata: Seagull Books. pp. xi. ISBN 9780857424990.
  9. ^ "Dura Kothao". Amazon. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. ^ Ford-Powell, Ken (25 June 2013). "Caged in Paradise and Other Stories by Rizia Rahman: Trapped in a terrible beauty". Paste.
  11. ^ "Caged in Paradise and Other Stories | The University Press Limited". www.uplbooks.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Rizia Rahman". Bangladeshi Novels.
  13. ^ "PM: Protect and practice country's rich culture, language". Dhaka Tribune. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  14. ^ একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত কথাসাহিত্যিক রিজিয়া রহমান আর নেই. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  15. ^ একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত কথাসাহিত্যিক রিজিয়া রহমানের ইন্তেকাল. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  16. ^ ঔপন্যাসিক রিজিয়া রহমান আর নেই. Jugantor (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.