Khondakar Ashraf Hossain

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain (Bengali: খোন্দকার আশরাফ হোসেন; 4 January 1950 – 16 June 2013) was a leading poet,^[2][3] essayist, translator, and editor from Bangladesh. He wrote more than eighteen titles.

Professional and literary life

Hossain was born in Joynagar village in Jamalpur Sadar Upazila, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 1950. He earned a BA degree in 1970 and an MA degree in 1971, both are in English and from the University of Dhaka; and MAs in Linguistics and ELT from the University of Leeds in 1981. He also obtained a PhD in English from the University of Dhaka and a postgraduate diploma in Teaching English Overseas from the University of Leeds in 1980.^[4] His doctoral thesis is entitled Modernism and Beyond: Western Influence on Bangladeshi Poetry.^[5] Dr. Hossain was a professor and chairman of the Department of English at the University of Dhaka.^[6] In his decades-long teaching career, he was immensely popular among his students for his unique lectures delivered with ready wit and remarkable quips.^[7] He has published a number of collections of poetry and of essays in Bengali and English. About the readership of poetry, he says:

I am not at all concerned with the number of readers of poetry.^[8]

Dr. Hossain translates from Bengali to English and from German and English to Bengali. His poems have been translated into English, German, French, Telegu and Hindi.^[9] Dr. Hossain edits and publishes a literary magazine: Ekobingsho (English: The Twenty-First)^[10][11] which was founded by Hossain himself in 1985 with its main focus on the new poetry of Bangladesh. In May 2013 Hossain was appointed as the third vice-chancellor of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University.^[12]

Theatrical Work

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain patronized a drama group called Nagorik since the seventies. Nagorik is one of Bangladesh's leading theatrical groups, for which Hossein served as both president and dramatist.^[13]

Critical reception

Dr. Hossain receiving honorary crest at 18th years celebration of Somujjol Subatas

Hossain wrote a wide variety of poems in lucid language and with innovative and suggestive imagery.^[14] Expressiveness and eloquence in his poetry came from his successful, spontaneous combination of national and world heritage and mythology with his personal experience and feelings.^[15] Though he began to write when postmodernism was blooming fast in the west, he denies to identify himself as an avowed post-modernist.^[16] In his book On Behula's Raft's launch ceremony, he said about himself that "my soul is nourished by the alluvial soil and the moistures of riverine Bangladesh, which is my Behula".^[17] Fakrul Alam considered his poems "humorous and witty" in some cases.^[17] Syed Manzoorul Islam opined that Hossain at his initial stage was a romantic poet, but is now a realistic poet, as he is writing in a very self-conscious way.^[17] His love poems are characterised by stark realism rather than by romantic euphoria.^[14] Anisuzzaman deemed his poetry as the socio-political representation of Bangladesh.^[17] He explored not only the contemporary social and political condition of his country but also "the grounds of existential philosophy in conceiving human life as fragile yet undying, as self-destructive yet eternal".^[14] Dr. Hossain's poetry is noted for its engagement with philosophical concerns. For having some drishtantoist poems, he would be important in Bengali poetry.^[18]

Death

Khondakar Ashraf Hossain, died of a heart attack in Lab-aid hospital in the capital at 12 noon^[19] on 16 June 2013. He was undergoing treatment at Labaid Hospital, Dhaka since 14 June due to health complications. He suffered a major heart attack at 8:30 am and died around 11:00 am on 16 June.^[20] The ailing professor was being treated when he died at the age of 63.^[21]

Awards

• Alaol Literary Prize (1987) (for poetry)
• West Bengal Little Magazine Award (1998) (for editing)^[9]
• Jibananda Puraskar^[22]

Bibliography

Poetry

• Tin Ramanir Qasida
• Partho Tomar Teebro Teer
• Jibaner Saman Chumuk
• Sundari o Ghrinar Ghungur
• Jamuna Parba
• Janmo Baul
• Tomar Namey Brishti Namey
• Aiona Dekhey Andha Manush

Anthologies

• Nirbachito Kabita'
• Kabita Samgraha
• On Behula's Raft

Collections of essays

• Bangladesher Kabita: Antaranga Abalokan (A Study on Bangladeshi Poetry)
• Chirayata Puraan (Classical Mythology)
• Kabitar Antarjami
• Adhunik Uttaradhunik o Annyanya
• Prasango (Bengali Poetry in the contexts of Modernism, postmodernism and other trends)
• Bishwakabitar Sonali Shasya (Gleanings from World Poetry)
• Modernism and Beyond: Western Influences on Bangladeshi poetry

Prose

• Romantic and Modern: Latitudes and Longitudes of Poetry

Translations

• Selected Poems of Paul Celan (from German into Bengali)
• Folk Poems from Bangladesh (from Bengali into English)
• Folk Tales from Bangladesh (from Bengali into English)
• Elements of General Phonetics by David Abercrombie (into Bengali)
• Sophocles’ King Oedipus, Euripides’ Alcestis, Medea (into Bengali)
• Terry Eagleton’s Literary Theory: An Introduction (into Bengali)
• Edith Hamilton’s Mythology (into Bengali)
• Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
• Medea by Euripides
• Alcestis by Euripides

Editorial

• The Dhaka University Studies (Journal of the Faculty of Arts), Editor
• Ekobingsho (a poetry magazine), Editor
• Selected Poems of Nirmalendu Goon (Edited, with an introduction)
• The Bangla Academy English–Bengali Dictionary (Co-edited, with a note on pronunciation)
• An English Anthology (Co-edited, published by Department of English, Dhaka University)

See also

• List of Bangladesh-related topics

References

External links

• Khondakar Ashraf Hossain on PoemHunter.Com