Akhtaruzzaman Elias

Akhtaruzzaman Elias, one of the most powerful writers in Bangla, loved to consider himself a 24 hour-writer. A professional government college teacher, was born in a village named Gotia in Gaibandha district on February 12, 1943, the year of the great famine.

He passed his childhood in a political atmosphere, since his father BM Elias was a political activist and was the general secretary of Bograzila Muslim League at his birth and was elected member of Bongio Pradeshik Parishad in 1946 election.

Though he wrote only two novels, critics place Elias in the pantheon of great Bengali novelists. In the context of the novels of Bangladesh, he is possibly the second person highest acclaimed after Syed Waliullah.The political environment had a deep influence in the mind of Elias and all of his writings including his novels Chilekothar Sepai (1986) and Khowabnama (1996) which bear testimony of his political view of life. Besides the novels he published five collections of short stories: Onno Ghare Onno Shar (1976), Khoanri (1982), Dudvate Utpat (1985), Dozokher Om (1989), Jal Shapno, Shapner Jal (1997) and a collection of essays: Shangskritir Vanga Shetu (1997). This affectionate activist writer died of cancer in his mid-fifties in 1997.

Akhtaruzzaman Elias has received several awards.

* Humayun Kabir Smrti Puraskar (1977),
* Bangla Academy Sahitya Puraskar (1983),
* Alaol Sahitya Puraskar (1987),
* Ananda Puraskar (1996),
* Saadat Ali Akhand Puraskar (1996),
* Kazi Mahbubullah Gold Medal (1996), and
* Ekushey Padak (1999, posthumous).