Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah (; 16 October 1956 – 21 June 1991) was a

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

poet noted for his revolutionary and romantic poetry. He is considered one of the leading Bengali poets of the 1970s. He received ''Munir Chaudhury Memorial Award'' in 1980 and

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 2024 (33 years after his death) He is most notable for writing the song "ভালো আছি ভালো থেকো" (Bhālō āchi bhālō thēkō) also known as "আমার ভিতর বাহিরে অন্তরে অন্তরে"(Āmāra bhitara bāhirē antarē antarē). The song was later used in various Bengali movies and television dramas. An English translation of Rudro's selected poems, titled 'Ruddro and Beyond' was made by editor and translator Nadira Bhabna and published in 2023.

Life

Shahidullah was born on 16 October 1956 in

Barisal Barisal ( or ; , ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal District and Barisal Divi ...

. He was a student of Dhaka West End School and St. Joseph Higher Secondary School. He passed

Secondary School Certificate Secondary School Certificate (SSC), Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) or Matriculation examination, is a public examination in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives and Nepal conducted by educational boards for the successful completi ...

(SSC) in 1973 and

Higher Secondary School Certificate Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), Higher Secondary School Certificate, Higher Secondary Education Certificate (HSEC) or Intermediate Examination is a secondary education qualification in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. It is equivalent to the f ...

(HSC) in 1975. Then got his master's degree in Bangla 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 ...

in 1983. In 1982, Taslima Nasrin fell in love with Rudra and fled home to marry him. They divorced in 1986. He died on 21 June 1991 as a result of drug abuse and depression.

Literary works

;Collection of poems * ''Upodruto Upokul'' (1979) * ''Firey Chai Swarno Gram'' (1981) * '' Manusher Manchitra'' (1984) * ''Chhobolo'' (1986) * ''Galpa'' (1987) * ''Diyechhilo Shokol Akash'' (1988) * ''Moulik Mukhosh'' (1990) ;Poems ;Short stories * ''Sonali Shishir'' ;Play * ''Bish Briksher Bij''

Awards

* ''1980: Munier Choudhury Memorial Literary Award for his poetry book, Upodruto Upokul.'' * ''1981: Munier Choudhury Memorial Literary Award for his poetry book, Firey Chai Swarnagram.'' * ''1997: Bangladesh Chalachitra Sangbadik Samity award (posthumous) for the poem Amar Bhitor Bahire Ontore Ontore'' * ''2024:

Rudra Mela

''Rudra Smriti Sangsad'' organises an annual fair named ''Rudra Mela'', in memory of poet Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shahidulla, Rudra Mohammad 1956 births 1991 deaths People from Bagerhat District Bangladeshi male poets Alumni of St. Joseph Higher Secondary School Bengali male poets 20th-century Bengali poets 20th-century Bangladeshi male writers Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Recipients of the Ekushey Padak in 2024 Modernist poets