Abu Rushd
Abu Rushd Matinuddin (Bengali: আবু রুশদ) (December 25, 1919 – 2010), born in Kolkata, was a Bangladeshi author who used the literary name Abu Rushd.
Life
After the Partition of India in 1947, Abu Rushd moved to Dhaka, leaving his parents and his siblings behind in Kolkata. In East Pakistan he taught at several colleges before leaving for Oxford for an Honours degree in English. On his return, he went back to his favorite career - teaching English at various colleges, until he became the principal of Chittagong College. After serving in administrative government positions related to education, in 1971, he became the Educational Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington. When the Bangladesh Liberation War broke out in 1971, he swore allegiance to Bangladesh. After the liberation, he served as the Director of Public Instructions (DPI) and was then posted to the Bangladesh High Commission in London as Educational Counsellor. After retirement, he served as Superluminary Professor of English at Jahangirnagar University. He died on February 25, 2010.
Works
Abu Rushd's first publication was a collection of short stories in 1939. In additiion to six novels, he wrote 50 short stories, and a three-volume autobiography (which he considered his most important work). Also, he was adept at translating literary works, both from Bengali to English and English to Bengali, including Shakespeare's poems. Moreover, he was a regular columnist for four Bangladeshi newspapers, writing opinion pieces.
Novels
- Elomelo (This and That, 1946)
- Samne Notun Din (A New Day Ahead, 1951)
- Doba Holo Dighi (Pool becomes Lake, 1960)
- Nongor (Anchor, 1967)
- Onishchito Ragini (The Unsure Tune, 1969)
- Sthagita Dwip (The Aborted Island, 1974)
Short Stories
- Golpo Somogro (Collection of his short stories, 2000)
Autobiography
- Jibon Kromosho (covering the period 1919-1947)
- Thikana Poscheem (covering the period 1947-1972)
- Ekhon Bortoman (covering the period 1972-1988)
Translations From Bengali to English
- Songs of Lalon Shah (1964)
- The Unadjusted Tune (Translation of his Bengali novel Anischito Ragini, 1977)
- The Aborted Island (Translation of his Bengali novel Sthagita Dwip, 1985)
- Selected Short Stories of Abu Rushd (1993)
- Selected Poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam (1994)
- Selected Poems of Rabindranath Tagore (1996)
Awards
- Taghma-i-Imtiaz (1963)
- Bangla Academy Award (1996)
- Habib Bank Award (1970)
- Ekushey Padak (1981)
- Nasiruddin Gold Medal (1992)
- Alakta Literary Award (1992)
- Bangla Sahitya Parisad Award (1993)
- Sher-e-Bangla Award (1992)
- Lekhika Sangha Award (1992)
- Rotary Club Award (1995)
- Chattagram Sangskriti Kendro Farrukh Memorial Award (1999)
Photo gallery
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Professor Mohammad Ali along with CSK President Amirul Islam handed over the Farrukh Memorial Award (1999) to Abu Rushd
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A portrait with his wife and other family members.
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Abu Rushd in 2009. Photograph by M. Ismail Chowdhury.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abu Rushd. |
- The Aborted Island
- Short biographies including Abu Rushd
- cskbd.org
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