Syed Mujtaba Ali

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Syed Mujtaba Ali
সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী
British Indian (1904–1947)
  • Pakistani (1947–1949)
  • Indian (1949–1972)
  • Bangladeshi (1972–1974)
    • Occupations
    • Writer
    • journalist
    • teacher
    • travel enthusiast
    • academic
    • linguist
    Years active1949–1974
    WorksBibliography
    Spouse
    Rabeya Khatun
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1951; died 1974)​
    Parents
    • Khan Bahadur Syed Sikandar Ali (father)
    • Amtul Mannan Khatun (mother)
    Relatives
    AwardsFull list
    Honours Ekushey Padak (posthumous, 2005)[3]
    Writing career
    Language
    PeriodContemporary
    GenreTravelogue, ramya rachana
    Notable worksDeshe Bideshe, Panchatantra, Chacha Kahini
    Academic background
    Calcutta University (1950)
  • Visva-Bharati University
    • (1956–1964)

    Syed Mujtaba Ali (Bengali: সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলী, Bengali pronunciation: [soi̯od̪ mud͡ʒt̪ɔba ali]; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1974) was a Bengali writer, journalist, travel enthusiast, academic, scholar and linguist. He lived in Bangladesh, India, Germany, Afghanistan and Egypt.[4]

    Early life and education

    Ali was born on 13 September 1904 to a

    Syed dynasty.[7] Ali's mother, Amatul Mannan Khatun, belonged to the Chowdhuries of Kala and Bahadurpur, an Islamised branch of the Pal family of Panchakhanda.[8] Mujtaba was the youngest of three brothers, one of whom being the writer Syed Murtaza Ali.[6]

    Ali passed the matriculation exam from

    Amānullāh Khān, after he criticized the airlifting of Europeans before British Indian citizens.[10]

    From 1929 to 1932, Ali went to Germany with Wilhelm Humboldt scholarship and studied at the universities in

    Khojas
    in 1932.

    Career

    Ali then studied at the

    Azizul Huq College in Bogra, East Bengal
    .

    After the

    Kendriya Muslim Sahitya Samsad.[11] He was a prominent activist and supporter of Bengali as the national language of East Pakistan.[11] In 1948, being the principal of Azizul Huq College, Bogra, he wrote an essay, 'The State Language of East Pakistan', which was printed in Chaturanga of Kolkata. During that time, the West Pakistan Rulers tried to impose Urdu
    as the only state language of East Pakistan while Bengali was spoken by most of the people. The government of Pakistan demanded an explanation. But Ali resigned and moved to India.

    He slipped back to India in August 1949, tipped off by a friend, according to Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, that Pakistani authorities intended to arrest him for his vocal support of the Bengali language movement.[12]

    After a brief stint at

    Liberation of Bangladesh
    , he moved with his family to Dhaka and lived there till his death in 1974.

    Linguistic abilities and literary works

    Ali's mother tongue was

    Pashtu.[2] Alongside Natya Guru Nurul Momen and Jajabar (Binay Mukhopadhyay), Ali was one of the trail-blazers of a unique category of Bengali writing. 'Ramya Rachana' in the Bengali language, an anecdotal story-telling – often based on real-life experiences – became immensely popular, mostly because of the attractive writing style of Ali. Deshe Bideshe, the story of his journey to and experiences in Kabul during his brief stint as professor in a college there is one of Ali's best works. Panchatantra is a collection of thoughts and short stories (some already published in 'Desh' magazine) of his days in Europe, Cairo and Baroda.[citation needed
    ]

    Bibliography

    1. Deshe Bideshe (1949)[10]
    2. Panchatantra (1952)
    3. Abishwasya (1955)
    4. Chacha Kahini (1955)
    5. Mayurkanthi (1957)
    6. Jale Dangay (1957)
    7. Dhupchhaya (1958)
    8. Shabnam (1960)
    9. Chaturanga (1960)
    10. Shreshtha Galpa (1962)
    11. Parash Pathar (1962)
    12. Bahubichitra (1962)
    13. Bhabaghure O Anyanya (1962)
    14. Shreshtha Ramya Rachana (1962)
    15. Tunimem (1964)
    16. Duhara (1966)
    17. Pachandashai (1967)
    18. Shahriyar (1969)
    19. Hitler (1970)
    20. Kato Na Ashrujal (1971)
    21. Musafir (1971)
    22. Prem
    23. Dwandwa Madhur
    24. Tulanahina
    25. Raja Ujir
    26. Chalak Hobar Pahela Kitab

    Death and legacy

    In 1972, after the

    Bengali Literature in both Bangladesh and India, particularly in the states of West Bengal and Tripura. He was awarded Ekushey Padak, the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh in 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh.[15]

    Awards

    See also

    References

    1. ^
      OL 30677644M
      . Retrieved 24 April 2024.
    2. ^ a b c d e "A man of many hues". The Daily Star. 11 February 2014.
    3. ^ "14 to get Ekushey Padak". The Daily Star. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
    4. ^ আলিম-উজ-জামান, কাজী (12 February 2024). "সৈয়দ মুজতবা আলীর যে কষ্টের কথা আমরা অনেকেই জানি না". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
    5. ^ "Prakhyata Byaktitva". Moulvibazar Zila. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
    6. ^ a b Abdulla Shibli (13 March 2015). "Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel". The Daily Star.
    7. ISBN 978-984-31-0478-6
    8. ^ Ali, Syed Murtaza (1968). Amadera kalera katha (in Bengali). Baighara. p. 27.
    9. ^ Shibli, Abdullah (7 March 2015). "Syed Mujtaba Ali as a Rebel". The Daily Star. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
    10. ^ a b c Banerjee, Mou (11 September 2023). "Syed Mujtaba Ali between Bengal and Afghanistan". The Daily Star. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
    11. ^ a b "Syed Mujtaba Ali – a pioneer of our Language Movement". 11 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
    12. ISBN 978-984-05-1795-4
      .
    13. ISBN 978-984-05-1795-4
      .
    14. ^ Bangladesh. Embassy of Bangladesh. 1974. p. 4.
    15. ^ "14 to get Ekushey Padak". The Daily Star. 18 February 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.

    Further reading

    • Saiyad Mujtaba Ali Rachanabali (complete works), edited by Gajendrakumar Mitra, Sumathanath Ghosh, Sabitendranath Ray and Manish Chakrabarty, eleven volumes published by Mitra O Ghosh (Kolkata) 1974–1983.
    • Saiyad Mujtaba Ali: Jibankatha, by Nurur Rahman Khan, published by Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (Dhaka) 1990.
    • Mujtaba Sahityer Rupbaichitrya o Rachanashaili, by Nurur Rahman Khan, published by Bangla Academy (Dhaka) 1990.
    • Prasanga: Mujtaba Ali, edited by Bijanbihari Purakayastha, published by Nabapatra Prakashan (Kalikata) 1998 (first published as Mujtaba Prasanga in Sylhet in 1977).
    • Syed Mujtaba Ali: Proshongo Oproshongo by Golam Mostakim, who was close with Syed Mujtaba Ali from 1971 to 1974, till Syed Mujtaba Ali's death. The book illustrates Syed Mujtaba Ali as a person rather than a personality. Published by Student Ways, Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1995.
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