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{{BLP sources|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Asad Chowdhury
|native_name = আসাদ চৌধুরী
|native_name_lang = bn

| image = Asad Chowdhury 2010.jpg
| caption = Chowdhury in National Poetry Festival (2010)
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1943|2|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Ulania]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| occupation = poet
| alma_mater = [[University of Dhaka]]
| nationality = Bangladeshi
| relatives = [[Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury]]
|awards=[[Ekushey Padak]]<br/>[[Bangla Academy Literary Award]]
}}

'''Asad Chowdhury''' (born 11 February 1943) is a poet, writer, translator, radio, television personality and journalist, as well as a cultural activist in Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite news|title=Lily Islam's solo musical soiree|publisher=The New Nation|url=http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/05/25/all0993.htm|date=25 May 2022}}</ref> He won [[Ekushey Padak]] in 2013 and [[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |date=7 February 2013 |title=13 picked for Ekushey Padak |url=http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/02/07/13-picked-for-ekushey-padak1 |newspaper=bdnews24.com}}</ref>

==Early life and family==
Choudhury was born on 11 February 1943, 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]]. 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, Hasan Raja, was Asad Chowdhury's great grandfather. Hasan Raja and his two brothers, Naya 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. Raja's son was Majid Chowdhury, whose son was Eslam Chowdhury, whose son Muhammad Arif Chowdhury was Asad Choudhury's father.<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>

==Education and career==
Chowdhury completed his master's degree in Bengali in 1964 from the [[University of Dhaka]]. He started his profession as a lecturer in Bengali language and literature at Brahmanbaria College in 1973. During the liberation war of Bangladesh, he was a contributor and broadcaster of [[Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra]] in [[Kolkata]]. He has also been assistant editor in “[[The Joybangla]]” (Kalkata, 1971) and in “The Daily Janapada” (Dhaka, February 1973). He was a correspondent for The Daily Purbodesh from 1968 to 1971. He served as the director at the [[Bangla Academy]], [[Dhaka]] and worked as an editor at the [[Bengali language|Bengali]] service of [[Deutsche Welle]] after his retirement.

Chowdhury is a life member of the [[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]] and a fellow of [[Bangla Academy]], Dhaka, as well as being the ex-Vice President of ''The Radio and TV Artists Association''. He has held many other positions over his life, including:

* Life member of Bigana Samskriti Parshad, Dhaka
* Life member of Bhasha Sammmiti, Dhaka
* Member of the Presidium Jatyo Kabita Utsabe, Dhaka
* Founder, President of Deutsche Banglische Geselschaft E.V. Bonn, Koln, Germany Ex-Member, R.F.F.U.
* Founder, Vice-President of Chandradeep, Dhaka
* Founder, Vice-President of the Bangladesh Writers Club, Dhaka
* An associated Member of the National Press Club, Dhaka
* Founder President of the Bengali-Urdu Sahitya Foundation

==Publications==

===Poems===
* Tabak Deya Pan, 1975
* Bitto Nai Besat Nai, 1976
* Ekka Dokka, 1980
* Joler Madhye Lekhajokha, 1982
* Je Pare Paruk, 1983
* Modhya Math Theke, 1984
* Megher Julum Pakhir Julum, 1987
* Nadio Bibastro Hoi, 1992
* Premer Kabita, 1992
* Garbo Amar Anek Kichur, 1994
* Tan Bhalobasher Kabita, 1996
* Batash Jemon Parchito, 1998
* Brishtir Sansare Ami Keo Noi 1998
* Kichu Phool Ami Niviye Diechi, 2003
* Prem o Prakritr Kobita, 2003
* Barir Kache Asri Nagar, 2003 (translation of the contemporary Urdu poets)

===Folk tales===

* Teen Rasarajer Adda, 1998
* Vin Desher Lok Kahini, 1998
* John Henry, 2001
* Chotother Mojar Golpo, 2001
* Annya Desher Lok-Kahini, 2004

===Other===

* Kon Alokar Phool, 1982 (essay)
* Rajanikanta Sen, 1989 (biography)
* Kabita Samagra, 2000
* Maichalengelo, 2001 (biography)

===Translations===

Chowdhury's publications have been translated into English, French, German, Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam and published in the US, Canada, UK, France, India, and Pakistan.

==Cassettes==

* Padavali (1981)
* Moder Garab Moder Asha (1985)
* Sangbarta (1989)
* Premer Kabira (1992)

==Radio and television production==

Chowdhury conducted Kathakali, a weekly program from 1973 to 1981, and prepared manuscripts for, conducted and participated in many programs of [[Radio Bangladesh]].

==Other activities==

Chowdhury participated in poetry sessions and recitations arranged by Bangla Academy, German Culture Institute, American Culture Centre, Alliance Francaise, Russian Cultural Centre, Iranian Cultural Centre, Islamic Foundation, as well as other cultural organizations of Bangladesh. He delivered a keynote at a seminar, organised by Afro-Asian

More recently, he has read poems at a festival organised by the Bangladesh Association in [[Pittsburgh]] in 2000, and attended Mukti Judha Uthsab in Agartala, India in January 2001.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chowdhury, Asad}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi male poets]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak]]
[[Category:Recipients of Bangla Academy Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of Mazharul Islam Poetry Award]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Iranian descent]]

Asad Chowdhury - Revision history

Bot at 19:07, 22 September 2022