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Sufia Kamal (June 20, 1911-November 20,
1999) was a poet, writer, organizer, feminist
and activist from Bangladesh. She was born
to a Muslim family in Barisal, Bangladesh.
She is one of the most widely recognized
cultural personalities in Bangladesh. When
she died in 1999, she was buried with full
state honors, the first woman in Bangladesh
to receive this honor.
Early life
Sufia Kamal was born in Shaestabad, daughter
of a distinguished zamindar family, in Barisal.
During her childhood, women's education
was prohibited and she could not afford
to get academic education. But she learnt
Bangla, Hindi, English, Urdu, Arabic, Kurdish
and Persian language from her house tutors.
In 1918, she went to Kolkata with her mother
where she came to meet with Begum Rokeya[1].
She was first married at the age of 11 to
her cousin Syed Nehal Hossain, then a law
student. They had a daughter, Amena Kahnar,
and Mr. Hossain died in 1932. Five years
later, Ms. Kamal married Kamaluddin Ahmed.
In addition to her first daughter, Ms. Kamal
is survived by two other daughters, Sultana
Kamal and Saida Kamal; two sons, Shahed
Kamal and Sazid Kamal; three grandsons,
and three great-granddaughters.
A short story "Shainik Bodhu"
which she wrote was published in a local
paper in 1923. She encountered prominent
South Asian personalities, such as Begum
Rokeya, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Mahatma Gandhi.
Rokeya, who can be regarded the first female
feminist of Bengal, had a lasting impression
on her.
Sufia Kamal's first poem, Bashanti (Of spring),
was published in the then influential magazine,
Saogat in 1926. In 1931 she became the first
Bengali muslim female to be the member of
Indian Women Federation.
Literature
Kamal's literary career took off after her
first poetry publication. Her first book
of poems Sanjher Maya (Evening Beautiful)
came out in 1938, bearing a foreword from
Kazi Nazrul Islam and attracting praise
from critics, not least of whom was the
father figure of Bangla literature, Rabindranath.
Sanjher Maya was translated in Russian in
1984. Then Sanjher Maya Russian translate
is in translate of Russian.
In 1937 she published her first collection
of short stories, Keyar KaNta (Thorns of
the Keya tree).
Though she called herself a romantic poet,
her work more and more reflected the struggles
to preserve the Bengali language and culture
and to fight Pakistani rulers. During Bangladesh's
struggle for independence from Pakistan
in the early 1970's she worked to help women
hurt by the war. She also worked with an
organization to try to bring to justice
those Pakistani officials whom the Bangladeshis
considered war criminals.
In later life, she made women's rights her
top priority and headed Bangladesh's largest
women's organization for many years. She
did not see the oppression of women as mainly
a class issue.
Activism
In 1947, when "Shaptahik Begum"
was first published, Sufia Kamal became
its first editor. In October of that year
after the partition of India she came to
Dhaka. During a huge clash between Hindu
and Muslim of that time Kamal worked for
their friendship and joined in Peace Committee.
In 1948, when "Purbo Pakistan Mohila
Committee" formed, she became its chairman.[4]
Kamal's activism continued in 1952, with
the Language Movement. In 1961, when the
Pakistani government banned Rabindra Sangeet
(Songs of Rabindranath), she became involved
in the movement among Bengalis that ensued
in 1961. During the mass uprising in 1969,
which demanded the resignation of General
Ayub Khan, she promoted the cause by forming
Mohila Sangram Parishad (Women's Struggle
Group). She was involved in the 1971 Liberation
War and all later movements against dictatorial
regimes. Kamal was also instrumental in
getting the first women's dormitory of Dhaka
University to be named Rokeya Hall, after
Begum Rokeya.
Awards
Sufia Kamal is believed to have won around
50 awards during her lifetime. An incomplete
list:
" Bangla Academy Award for Literature
(1962),
" Ekushey Medal (1976)
" Jatyo Kabita Parishad Award (National
Poetry Council Award, 1995)
" Begum Rokeya Medal (1996)
" Deshbandhu CR Das Gold Medal (1996)
" Independence Day Award (1997)
" Lenin Centenary Jubilee Medal (1970)
from the Soviet Union
" Czechoslovakia Medal (1986)
Works
" Mrttikar Ghran (The Fragrance of
Earth)
" Ekattarer Diary (Diary of '71)
" Benibinyas Samay To Ar Nei (No More
Time for Braiding Your Hair)
" Ekale Amader Kal (In This Time, Our
Time)
Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/
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