Bot at 20:42, 31 October 2022

2022-10-31T20:42:30Z

New page

{{Short description|Bangladeshi-born British journalist and songwriter (1934–2022)}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Abdul Gaffar Choudhury
| image =
| caption =
| native_name = আবদুল গাফফার চৌধুরী
| native_name_lang = bn
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1934|12|12}}
| birth_place = [[Ulania]], [[Mehendiganj Upazila|Mehendiganj]], [[Barisal Division|Barisal]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British Raj]] (now [[Bangladesh]])
| death_date = {{death date and age|2022|05|19|1934|12|12|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[London]], [[Middlesex]], [[Greater London]], England
| nationality = [[Bangladeshi citizenship]]
| citizenship = [[British citizenship]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Dhaka]]
| occupation = Writer, journalist, columnist, [[Political science|political analyst]], poet
| spouse = {{marriage|Selima Afroz Choudhury|1956|2012|reason=died}}
| children = 5
| father = Haji Wahed Reza Choudhury
| mother = Zohra Khatun Choudhury
| relatives = [[Asad Chowdhury]]
| awards = {{unbulleted list|[[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] (1967)|[[Ekushey Padak]]|[[Independence Day Award]] (2009)
|[[UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy|UNESCO Literacy Award]]}}
}}

'''Abdul Gaffar Choudhury''' (12 December 1934 – 19 May 2022)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alamgir |first=Mohiuddin |date=2022-05-20 |title=The man behind the iconic song |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/obituary/news/the-man-behind-the-iconic-song-3027351 |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> was a Bangladeshi-born British writer, journalist, columnist, [[Political science|political analyst]] and poet. He wrote the lyrics to "[[Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano]]", a widely celebrated song commemorating the [[Bengali Language Movement]]. He was awarded [[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] in 1967, [[Ekushey Padak]] in 1983, and [[Independence Day Award]] in 2009.

==Early life and family==
Choudhury was born on 12 December 1934, to an aristocratic [[Bengali Muslim]] family known as the [[Zamindars]] of [[Ulania]] in [[Mehendiganj Upazila|Mehendiganj]], then located under the [[Backergunge District]] of the [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal Province]].<ref name="sahos24">{{cite news |url=http://www.sahos24.com/english/2014/12/12/2300 |title=Abdul Gaffar Choudhury- An Expatriate Bangladeshi Writer |location=Bangladesh |work=Sahos |date=12 December 2012 |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref> His ancestor, Shaykh Muhammad Asad Ali, arrived migrated from [[Persia]] to [[Ayodhya]], later settling in the Bengali city of [[Murshidabad]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barisal.gov.bd/site/tourist_spot/512ff045-1796-11e7-9461-286ed488c766/%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF |title=উলানিয়া জমিদার বাড়ি - বরিশাল জেলা তথ্য বাতায়ন |access-date=19 December 2017|archive-date=8 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108093021/http://www.barisal.gov.bd/site/tourist_spot/512ff045-1796-11e7-9461-286ed488c766/%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%9C%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A6%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF|language=bn}}</ref> Ali's great great great grandson Muhammad Hanif served as a military commander under [[Shaista Khan]], the Mughal governor of [[Bengal Subah|Bengal]]. He was noted to have contributed to the suppression of [[Maghs|Arakanese]] and [[Portuguese East India Company|Portuguese]] pirates in the [[Bay of Bengal]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Bulbul, Sayful Ahsan|title=বৃহত্তর বরিশালের ঐতিহাসিক নিদর্শন|location=[[Dhaka]]|year=2012|publisher=Gatidhara|trans-title=Historical signs of greater Barisal|chapter=উলানিয়া চৌধুরীবাড়ি, মেহেন্দিগঞ্জ|trans-chapter=Ulania Choudhury Bari, Mehendiganj}}</ref> Hanif then entered the [[Barisal Division|greater Barisal]] region where he served as the [[Jamadar]] of the Sangram Fort in Govindapur and settled in the village of [[Hizla Upazila|Tetulia, Hizla]]. The family were later endowed the title of [[Choudhury]], and from his descendants, Muhammad Taqi migrated from the Tetulia Jamadar Bari to the village of Ulania. His son, Naya Raja, was Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury's great grandfather. Naya Raja and his two brothers, Hasan Raja and Kala Raja, became notable as traders of [[areca nut]], salt and rice, and built strong relationships with the [[Marwari people|Marwari]] merchants of [[Calcutta]] during the [[Company Raj]]. The three brothers established the ports of Lalganj, Aliganj and Kaliganj, and with their amassed wealth, established the ''[[zamindari]]'' of Idilpur.<ref name=siraj>{{cite book|title=বরিশাল বিভাগের ইতিহাস|trans-title=History of the Barisal Division|year=2010|author=[[Siraj Uddin Ahmed|Ahmed, Siraj Uddin]]|volume=1|publisher=Bhaskar Prakashani|location=[[Dhaka]]|chapter=উলানিয়ার চৌধুরী পরিবার|trans-chapter=The Chowdhury family of Ulania}}</ref>

Choudhury's father, [[Wahed Reza Choudhury]], son of Fazel Ali, was a landlord and freedom fighter. He was the president of [[Indian National Congress|Congress]]'s [[Backergunge District|Bakarganj]] branch and a member of the All-India Congress Working Committee. His father also served as secretary to [[Motilal Nehru]] and was imprisoned in the [[Quit India Movement|1942 August Movement]]. Choudhury's mother was Zohra Khatun.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/> Choudhury had three brothers and five sisters, Ali Reza Choudhury (Mehdi) his younger brother, Hossain Reja Choudhury his elder brother. His sisters' names are; Manik Bibi Choudhury, Laili Khatun Choudhury, Saleha Khatun Choudhury, Masuma Begum Choudhury and his younger sister Fazilatun Nesa Choudhury.

==Education==
He graduated from the [[University of Dhaka]] in 1959 and came to England on 5 October 1974.<ref name="bbwhoswho10">{{cite book |last1=Karim |first1=Mohammed Abdul |last2=Karim |first2=Shahadoth |title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who |url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/images/who%27%20who%20website%202010.pdf |date=October 2010 |publisher=British Bangla Media Group |page=36 |access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref><ref name="bbwhoswho11">{{cite book |last1=Karim |first1=Mohammed Abdul |last2=Karim |first2=Shahadoth |title=British Bangladeshi Who's Who |url=http://www.bbwhoswho.co.uk/images/who_%20who_2011.pdf |date=October 2011 |publisher=British Bangla Media Group |page=36 |access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref>

==Career==
Before moving to the United Kingdom, Choudhury worked as a journalist in different national newspapers in Dhaka. During the 1971 [[Bangladeshi Liberation War]], he worked for ''Joy Bangla'', ''Jugantar'' and ''Anandabazar Patrika''.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/>

He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics to "[[Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano]]" which is recognised as the most influential song of [[Bengali Language Movement]] and was initially set to music by him. Later, however, [[Altaf Mahmud]]'s composed music and adapted the song. It has been regarded by listeners of BBC Bengali Service as the third best song in Bengali.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/><ref name="thedailystar">{{cite news |last=Mallick |first=Sadya Afreen |date=21 March 2014 |title=Spirit of Ekushey |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/spirit-of-ekushey-12250 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)|The Daily Star]] |location=Dhaka |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref>

In the UK, Choudhury founded the newspaper ''Notun Din''. He had written 35 five books. He lived in London from where he regularly wrote columns in national Bangladeshi dailies, in Bengali newspapers of the Bangladeshi community and in a daily paper in Kolkata.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/>

Some of his notable works are "Dan Pithe Shawkat", "Chandrodwiper Upakhyan", "Nam Na Jana Bhore", "Nil Jamuna", "Shesh Rajanir Chand", "Polashi Thekey Dhanmondi", "Bastobotar Nirikhey" and others.<ref name="observerbd">{{cite news |title=Birthday Celebrations for Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury today at Bangla Academy |url=http://www.observerbd.com/2014/12/12/60256.php |work=The Daily Observer |location=Dhaka |date=12 December 2014 |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref><ref name="risingbd">{{cite news |last=Mukul |first=Manzurul Alam |date=12 December 2014 |url=http://www.risingbd.com/english/Gaffar_Chowdhury%E2%80%99s_birthday_today/20297 |title=Gaffar Chowdhury's birthday today |work=RisingBD.com |location=Dhaka |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref>

Choudhury had produced a film on the assassination of [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] called ''Polashi theke Dhanmondi''.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/> It was reported in 2008, that he was due to produce the film ''The Poet of Politics'' about the life of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.<ref name="hindustantimes">{{cite news |title=Amitabh Bachchan to play Bangladesh founder |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Entertainment/Amitabh-Bachchan-to-play-Bangladesh-founder/Article1-308615.aspx |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |location=India |date=3 May 2008 |access-date=19 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326043741/http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Entertainment/Amitabh-Bachchan-to-play-Bangladesh-founder/Article1-308615.aspx |archive-date=26 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="economictimes">{{cite news |title=Big B to play Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujib in new movie |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2008-05-02/news/27707395_1_bangabandhu-sheikh-hasina-bangladeshi-journalist |work=[[The Economic Times]] |location=India |date=2 May 2008 |access-date=1 July 2022}}</ref>

==Awards==

Choudhury has received numerous awards including [[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] in 1967, [[Ekushey Padak]], [[UNESCO]] literary Award, Bangabandhu Award, Shanghati Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, Sadhinota Padak in 2009. In the same year, ''[[The Daily Ittefaq]]'' honoured him with Manik Miah Padak.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/><ref name="observerbd"/><ref name="risingbd"/> In 2014, he was awarded the PIB-Sohel Samad Memorial Award.<ref name="daily-sun">{{cite news |title=Language Movement hero Gaffar Chowdhury gets PIB award |url=http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=443681&date=2014-10-23 |work=Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha |date=23 October 2014 |access-date=7 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110055150/http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=443681&date=2014-10-23 |archive-date=10 January 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="dhakatribune">{{cite news |title=Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury gets Samad Memorial Award |url=http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/dec/15/abdul-gaffar-chowdhury-gets-samad-memorial-award |work=[[Dhaka Tribune]] |date=15 December 2014 |access-date=1 June 2022}}</ref>

Choudhury was a [[Freedom of the City|freeman]] of the [[London Borough of Tower Hamlets]].

==Personal life==

Choudhury came to the United Kingdom for the treatment of his wife and could not return to Bangladesh for 22 years after the assassination of [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]].<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/> On 18 December 2012, Choudhury's wife Selima Choudhury died in London. They had one son and four daughters.<ref name="bdnews24">{{cite news |last=Pasha |first=Syed Nahar |date=19 December 2012 |title=Abdul Gaffar's wife Selima dies |url=http://www.bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2012/12/19/abdul-gaffar-s-wife-selima-dies |work=[[Bdnews24.com]] |location=Dhaka |access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref> Their son, Anupam, works for ''[[Reuters]]'', and their four daughters are Tanima, Chinmoyee, Binita and Indira.<ref name="bbwhoswho10"/><ref name="bbwhoswho11"/>

==Death==

Choudhury died at the age of 87 of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in London.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-19 |title=Veteran journalist Abdul Gaffar Choudhury passes away |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2022/05/19/veteran-journalist-abdul-gaffar-chowdhury-passes-away |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=www.dhakatribune.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Works==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1958
| ''Dan Pithe Shawkat'' (''Sawkat, The Daring Kid'')
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1960
| ''Chandrodwiper Upakhyan'' (''The Tale of Chandradwip'')
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1962
| ''Nam Na Jana Bhore'' (''The Nameless Dawn'')
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1964
| ''Nil Jamuna'' (''The Blue Jamuna'')
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1967
| ''Shesh Ratrir Chand'' (''The Late Night Moon'')
|-
|}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* {{Cite web |title=BBC World Service - Witness History, Protests for the Mother Tongue |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s89qv |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Abdul Gaffar}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2022 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Barisal District]]
[[Category:Dhaka College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Iranian descent]]
[[Category:British people of Bangladeshi descent]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi columnists]]
[[Category:British columnists]]
[[Category:British political scientists]]
[[Category:British poets]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi male poets]]
[[Category:Bengali-language writers]]
[[Category:British Asian writers]]
[[Category:20th-century British writers]]
[[Category:21st-century British writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi male writers]]
[[Category:Journalists from London]]
[[Category:Recipients of Bangla Academy Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]

Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury - Revision history

Bot at 20:42, 31 October 2022