Razia Khan Amin (1936 – 28 December 2011) was a Bangladeshi writer, poet and educationist. She was also a journalist, theatre actor and columnist for newspapers. She was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

in 1997 for her contribution to education by the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

Education and career

Khan's father

Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan (M. T. Khan; March 1889 – 19 August 1963) was the Speaker of Pakistan's Constituent Assembly from 1948 to 1954 and National Assembly of Pakistan between 1962 and 1963. Early life Khan was born in March 1889 to the Benga ...

was a politician and a social activist. Khan completed her bachelor's degree and masters in English from the

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

. She went to

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

on a scholarship from the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

for higher studies. Khan joined the editorial board of the then Pakistan Observer (later renamed

The Bangladesh Observer ''The Bangladesh Observer'', founded by Hamidul Huq Choudhury in 1949, was the oldest continuously published English-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh until it ceased publication in June 2010. History Since its inception as ''The Pakist ...

). She then joined as a faculty member of the Department of English of the University of Dhaka. At the age of 18, Khan wrote her first novel ''Bot tolar Upannayash'' in 1958.

Personal life

Khan was married to Anwarul Amin Makhon, the second-eldest son of former

Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...

Nurul Amin Nurul Amin (15 July 1893 – 2 October 1974) was a Pakistani politician and jurist who served as the eighth prime minister of Pakistan from 7 December to 20 December 1971. His premiership term of only 13 days was the shortest served in Pakista ...

. Anwarul Amin Makhon was the former general manager of BCCI Bangladesh and opened

Bangladesh Bank Bangladesh Bank (BB; ) is the central bank of Bangladesh and is a member of the Asian Clearing Union. It is fully owned by the Bangladesh, Government of Bangladesh. The bank is active in developing green banking. and financial inclusion poli ...

's first branch abroad (in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

). The couple had two children: banker Kaiser Tamiz Amin and journalist

Aasha Mehreen Amin Aasha Mehreen Amin is a Bangladeshi journalist and writer. She is currently joint editor at ''The Daily Star''. Biography Aasha Mehreen Amin was born in Dhaka to a Bengali Muslim family. Her father, Anwarul Amin Makhon, was the second-eldest son ...

Works

Novels

* Bot tolar Upannayash (Novel of the Wayside, 1959) * Anukalpa (The Alrternative, 1959) * Proticitra (The Blue-Print, 1975) * Citra-kabya (Picturesque Verses, 1980) * He Mohajibon (O! Eternal Life, 1983) * Draupadi (1992) * Padatik (The Pedestrian, 1996) * Brhastonir * Shikhor Himaddrir * Bandi Bihongo

Awards

* PEN Lay Writing Award (1956) * Pope Gold Medal (1957) *

Bangla Academy Literary Award The Bangla Academy Literary Award (; ''Bangla Academy Shahitya Puroshkar'') is given by the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh in recognition of creative genius in advancement and overall contribution in the field of Bengali language and literature. ...

(1975) * Qamar Mushtari Gold Medal (1985) *

(1997) * Lekhika Sangha Gold Medal (1998) * Druhee Katha-Shahityak Abdur Rouf Choudhury Memorial Award (1999) *

Anannya Literature Award Anannya Literature Award () is the prize for women in Bangladesh recognition of contribution to the field of literature by Anannya Magazine in every Bengali year since 1401 (Gregorian 1993). Winners References Bangladeshi literary awards ...

(2003)

Education and career

Personal life

Works

Novels

Awards

References

Further reading