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{{Short description|Bangladeshi educator}}
{{other people||Abu Sayeed (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Abdullah Abu Sayeed
| native_name = আবদুল্লাহ্ আবু সায়ীদ
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Abdullah Abu Sayeed (cropped).jpg
| caption = Sayeed in 2014
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1940|07|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Park Circus]], [[Calcutta]], [[British India]]
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| institution =
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|[[University of Dhaka]]}}
| education = {{unbulleted list|[[BA Hons]] ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]) | [[Master of Arts|MA]] (Bengali)}}
| occupation = Teacher, writer, television presenter, activist
| awards = {{Unbulleted list|{{nowrap|[[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (2004)}}|[[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] (2011)|[[Ekushey Padak]] (2005)}}
| signature = Signature of Abdullah Abu Sayeed.png
}}

'''Abdullah Abu Sayeed''' (born 25 July 1940) is a Bangladeshi educator, writer, television presenter, and activist. He is the founder and chairman of [[Bishwa Sahitya Kendra]], a non-profit organization that promotes the study of literature, reading habits, and progressive ideas.

==Early life==
Sayeed was born on 25 July 1939 to a [[Bengali Muslim]] family in [[Park Circus]], [[Calcutta]].<ref name="ds27Jul2011">{{cite news |title=The 'bookworm' in full form: Abdullah Abu Sayeed turns 72 |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-195884 |work=The Daily Star |date=2011-07-27 |access-date=2012-12-25 |archive-date=2019-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607181232/https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-195884 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="rmaward" /> His father was Azimuddin Ahmed, a teacher of English and Bengali literature, and a playwright.<ref name="Hossain2000">{{cite book |editor1-last=Hossain |editor1-first=Selina |editor2-last=Islam |editor2-first=Nurul |editor3-last=Hossain |editor3-first=Mobarak |year=2000 |title=Bangla Academy Dictionary of Writers |publisher=Bangla Academy |page=2 |isbn=984-07-4052-0}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Lorraine Hahn |date=2005-01-14 |title=Ramon Magsaysay Recipient Abdullah Abu Sayeed TalkAsia Transcript |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/01/14/talkasia.sayeed.script/ |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=2012-12-15 |archive-date=2012-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005150445/http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/01/14/talkasia.sayeed.script/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Their ancestral home was in [[Kachua Upazila, Bagerhat|Kamargati]], [[Bagerhat District]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Abu Sayeed, Abdullah |year=2001 |edition=2 |location=[[Dhaka]] |script-title=bn:বিস্রস্ত জর্নাল |publisher=Sahitya Prakash |language=bn}}</ref> Sayeed passed the [[Secondary School Certificate]] (SSC) exam from Radhanagar Mojumder Academy (School & College), [[Pabna]], in 1955 and the [[Higher Secondary (School) Certificate|Higher Secondary Certificate]] (HSC) exam from Prafulla Chandra College in [[Bagerhat]] in 1957. He later earned [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] and [[Master of Arts|MA]] degrees in [[Bengali language|Bengali]] from the [[University of Dhaka]] in 1960 and 1961, respectively.<ref name="Hossain2000" /> While studying at the [[University of Dhaka]], he organized, along with others, the birth centenary of the Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore.<ref name="thefinancialexpress.com.bd">{{Cite web |title=Abdullah Abu Sayeed: Spreading the light of learning |url=https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/reviews/abdullah-abu-sayeed-spreading-the-light-of-learning-1659710562 |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=The Financial Express |language=en |archive-date=2023-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822171429/https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/views/reviews/abdullah-abu-sayeed-spreading-the-light-of-learning-1659710562 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career==
Sayeed started his career as a guest teacher at Government Haraganga College, Munshiganj. Then he taught at Sylhet Women college for some time. In 1962 he joined [[Rajshahi College]] as a full-time teacher. After 5 months, he joined [[Government Science College, Dhaka]]. He was also an acting principal for 2 years when he was only 23 years old. He also taught Bangla as a part-time lecturer at [[BUET]]. He took voluntary retirement as a professor in April 1992.<ref name="thefinancialexpress.com.bd"/>

Sayeed gave an interview for the post of assistant professor. Being impressed by Sayeed's brilliance and personality, Dhaka College's renowned principal Jalaluddin Ahmed invited Sayeed to Dhaka College.
Sayeed later became the department head of the Bengali language at [[Dhaka College]].<ref name="sw3Sep2004">{{cite news |author=Shamim Ahsan |date=2004-09-03 |title=Recognised for an Enlightening Pursuit |url=https://archive.thedailystar.net/magazine/2004/09/01/endeavour.htm |work=Star Weekend Magazine |access-date=2012-12-15 }}</ref> He was very popular among his students. It is said that even students from other colleges came to attend his classes. He wrote a book on his teaching career named ''Nishfola Mather Krishok'' (''Farmer of an Infertile Land''). He edited the literary magazine ''Kanthashar'' (''The Voice'') in the 1960s, which promoted a new trend in Bangladeshi literature.<ref name="ds27Jul2011" /><ref name="rmaward" />

Sayeed started participating in TV programs in 1966. At first, he was a presenter of children's programs and quiz programs.<ref name="thefinancialexpress.com.bd"/> In the mid-1970s, he started presenting ''Shaptabarna'' (''Seven Colors''), a TV show on [[Bangladesh Television]].{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} Saptabarna was telecast once a week. It was a 90-minute-long program. In the 1970s and 1980s, he also presented the TV show ''Eid Anadamela''. He received the National Television Award in 1977.<ref name="ds5Feb2016">{{cite news |title=Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/supplements/star-lifetime-awardees-2016/prof-abdullah-abu-sayeed-212860 |newspaper=The Daily Star |date=2016-02-05 |access-date=2016-02-16}}</ref>

In 1978, he founded the ''[[Bishwa Sahitya Kendra]]''. He has close association with Bangladesh Poribesh Andolan (BAPA) and Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB).<ref name="thefinancialexpress.com.bd"/>

[[File:MZI-YH-AAS.jpg|right|thumb|260px|Abdullah Abu Sayeed (left), with Yasmeen Haque and [[Muhammed Zafar Iqbal]]]]

==Works==
Sayeed has written and edited more than 50 books.<ref name=80th/>
* Bidaye, Obonti (2005)
* Bohe Joloboti Dhara (2006)
* Bhalobashar Shampan (2007)
* Bishwo Shahitto Kendro O Ami (2007)
* Bisrosto Journal (2007)
* Amar Uposthapok Jibon (2008)
* Amar Ashabad (2009)
* Mrityumoy O Chiraharit
* Swapna-Duhswapner Galpo
* Rodanruposhi
* Juddhajatra
* Sangathan O Bangali
* Amar Ashabad
* Amar Boka Shoishob (2010)<ref name="80th">{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/news/professor-abdullah-abu-sayeeds-80th-birth-anniversary-today-1776367 |title=Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed's 80th birth anniversary today |date=2019-07-25 |work=The Daily Star |language=en |access-date=2019-07-24 |archive-date=2019-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724230859/https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/news/professor-abdullah-abu-sayeeds-80th-birth-anniversary-today-1776367 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Awards==
* [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (2004) in journalism, literature, and creative communication arts for "cultivating in the youth of Bangladesh a love for books and their humanizing values through exposure to the great works of Bengal and the world".<ref name="rmaward">{{cite web |url=http://www.rmaward.asia/awardees/sayeed-abdullah-abu/ |title=Sayeed, Abdullah Abu |website=Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation |access-date=2012-12-15 |archive-date=2017-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911054940/http://rmaward.asia/awardees/sayeed-abdullah-abu/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* National Television Award (1977)<ref name="ds5Feb2016" />
* Mahbub Ullah Trust Award (1998)<ref name="ds27Jul2011" />
* [[Ekushey Padak]] (2005)<ref name="ds5Feb2016" />
* [[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] (2011) for his essays<ref name="bdnews1">{{cite news |title=Bangla Academy prizes announced |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/bangla-academy-prizes-announced |newspaper=bdnews24.com |date=2012-02-18 |access-date=2012-12-15}}</ref>
* Khan Muhammad Farabi Memorial Award (2012)<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-251589 |title=Prof Abu Sayeed gets Farabi memorial award |date=2012-09-28 |work=The Daily Star |access-date=2018-08-10 |language=en |archive-date=2018-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810112628/https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-251589 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Star Lifetime Award on Education (2016)<ref name="ds5Feb2016" />
* 1st [[Nahar Kamal Ahmad]] Achievement Award (2025)

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons}}
{{Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayeed, Abdullah Abu}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi male writers]]
[[Category:University of Dhaka alumni]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Dhaka College]]
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Bangla Academy Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak]]
[[Category:People from Bagerhat District]]
[[Category:Pabna Zilla School alumni]]
[[Category:Government Prafulla Chandra College alumni]]

Abdullah Abu Sayeed - Revision history

Dwps at 09:18, 6 January 2026