Jasimuddin (1903-1976) poet and
litterateur, was born on 1 January 1903 in his maternal uncle's
home at Tambulkhana in faridpur, son of Ansaruddin Mollah, a
schoolteacher from Govindapur, also in Faridpur. Jasimuddin studied
for some time at Faridpur Welfare School. He then went to Faridpur
District School, from where he matriculated in 1921. He completed
IA from Rajendra College in 1924, and BA and MA in Bangla from the
University of Calcutta in 1929 and 1931
respectively.
From 1931 to 1937, Jasimuddin worked as ramtanu
lahiri assistant research fellow
under dinesh chandra
sen, collecting folk
literature. In 1938 he joined the university of
dhaka as lecturer. He left the university in
1944 to join the Department of Information and Broadcasting. He
continued working here, first under the Bengal government and then
under the East Pakistan Government, until his retirement as Deputy
Director in 1962.
Jasimuddin's talent as a poet developed early. As a
college student, he wrote the poem 'Kabar' (Grave). The poem, a
dramatic monologue of an old man talking to his grandson in front
of his wife's grave, was included in school textbooks while
Jasimuddin was still a student at university.
Jasimuddin's first book of verse, Rakhali
(Shepherd), was published in 1927. His other books are Naksi
Kanthar Math (1929), Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933),
Ranila Nayer Majhi (1935), Matir Kanna (1951),
Suchayani (1961), Padma Nadir Deshe (1969),
Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962), Padmapar (1950),
Beder Meye (1951), Pallibadhu (1956), Gramer
Maya (1959), Thakur Badir Aninay (1961), Germanir
Shahare Bandare (1975), Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978),
Bangalir Hasir Galpa, Dalim Kumar, etc. He also wrote
a novel, Boba Kahini (1964). He edited two books on folk
music: Jarigan (1968) and Murshida Gan (1977).
Naksi Kanthar Math and Bangalir Hasir Galpa have been
translated into English as The Field of the Embroidered
Quilt and Folk Tales of East Pakistan
respectively.
Called 'Palli Kavi' (folk poet), Jasimuddin is the poet
of rural Bengal, depicting the natural beauty of the rural world as
well as the lives of ordinary peasants. His poetic rhythms are
drawn from folk poetry, easy on the ear and quick to imbed
themselves in the memory. He was also a writer of fine prose,
fluent, witty, and expressive.
Jasimuddin was one of the pioneers of the progressive and
non-communal cultural movement. He was an ardent supporter of
socialism and of Bengali nationalism. In the 1950s when the
government of Pakistan attempted to stop
broadcasting tagore
songs, he protested boldly.
In 1969 Jasimuddin was awarded the DLitt by Rabindra
Bharati University. He also won several awards, including the
President's Award for Pride of Performance (1958), Ekushey Padak
(1976) and Swadhinata Dibas Puruskar (posthumous, 1978). In 1974 he
was also selected for the Bangla Academy Award but refused it.
Jasimuddin died in Dhaka on 13 March 1976 and was buried in his own
village.