Rizia Rahman

Rizia Rahman (28 December 1939 – 16 August 2019)[1] was a Bangladeshi novelist.[2] She had a number of novels and short stories to her credit. Her works cut across all genres. She was best known for the novel Bong Theke Bangla.[3] She was the recipient of Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978).[4] As of 2018, she had published more than 50 novels and short story collections during her long career.[5]

Rizia Rahman
Native name
রিজিয়া রহমান
Born(1939-12-28)28 December 1939
Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died16 August 2019(2019-08-16) (aged 79)
Dhaka, Bangladesh
OccupationWriter
NationalityBangladeshi

Early life

Rizia Rahman was born on 28 December 1939 in Bhabanipur, Kolkata.[5] Her family moved to Bangladesh, then known as East Bengal, after the 1947 Partition of India.[5] She began writing stories at the age of 8 and was published for the first time when she was 12.[6] Her stories and poems appeared in newspapers such as Satyajug and Sangbad.[7] Rahman studied at the University of Dhaka and graduated with a Master of Social Sciences in Economics.[7]

Career

Rahman published her first collection of short stories, Agni Shakkora, while studying at the University of Dhaka.[7] Her novel Bong Theke Bangla was published in 1978 to critical acclaim, exploring the evolution of Bangladesh's nationality and language.[5] Her fourth novel, Rokter Okkhor, was inspired by an article called "The Prostitutes of Dhaka" which was published in Bichitra.[8] She was unable to conduct research for the book by visiting brothels herself, relying instead on weekly reports from a male journalist to gain an understanding of a sex worker's living conditions.[8] It created a huge stir in Bangladesh upon publication because of its frank depiction of prostitution in the country. In a 2016 translation of the book named Letters of Blood,[7] Rahman said, "I received a lot of praise for the book, but also had to endure an equal amount of abuse."[8]

Works
Novels
  • Uttar Purush (Posterity, 1977)
  • Rokter Okkhor (Blood Words, 1978)
  • Bong Theke Bangla (Bengali to Bangla, 1978)
  • Alikhito Upakhyan (An Unwritten Story, 1980)
  • Surja Sabuj Rakta (Sun Green Blood, 1980)
  • Shhilay Shilay Agun (Stones in Fire, 1980)
  • Aranyer Kache (Near the Forest, 1980)
  • Dhabal Jyotsna (White Moon-light, 1980)
  • Ghar-Bhanga-Ghar (Broken-house, 1984)
  • Ekal Chirokal (Now and Eternity, 1984)
  • Prem Amar Prem (Love, My Love, 1985)
  • Jharer Mukhomukhi (Facing the Storm, 1986)
  • Ekti Phuler Janya (For a Flower, 1986)
  • Shudhu Tomader Janya (Only for You, 1988)
  • He manab Manabi (Oh! Man and Woman, 1989)
  • Harun Phereni (Harun did not Return, 1994)
  • Nodi Nirobodhi (2011)

Translated novels (English)
  • Letters of Blood (Rokter Okkhor, 2016)

Short stories

  • Dura Kothao (2004)[9]
  • Caged in Paradise and Other Stories (2010)[10][11]

Awards

Death

Rahman died on 16 August 2019.[14][15][16]

References
  1. "Novelist Rizia Rahman passes away". UNB. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  2. "Through The Eyes of Rizia Rahman". The Daily Star. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  3. "Rizia Rahman's Rokter Okshor". Bangladeshi Novels.
  4. পুরস্কারপ্রাপ্তদের তালিকা [Winners list] (in Bengali). Bangla Academy. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  5. রিজিয়া রহমান (Rizia Rahman) - Portfolio of Bengali Author Rizia Rahman on authors.com.bd. authors.com.bd. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  6. "Through the Eyes of Rizia Rahman". The Daily Star. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. "Library of Bangladesh Presents". bengallights.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  8. Rahman, Rizia (2018). Letters of Blood. Kolkata: Seagull Books. pp. xi. ISBN 9780857424990.
  9. "Dura Kothao". Amazon. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  10. Ford-Powell, Ken (25 June 2013). "Caged in Paradise and Other Stories by Rizia Rahman: Trapped in a terrible beauty". Paste.
  11. "Caged in Paradise and Other Stories | The University Press Limited". www.uplbooks.com. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  12. "Rizia Rahman". Bangladeshi Novels.
  13. "PM: Protect and practice country's rich culture, language". Dhaka Tribune. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  14. একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত কথাসাহিত্যিক রিজিয়া রহমান আর নেই. Bangladesh Pratidin (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  15. একুশে পদকপ্রাপ্ত কথাসাহিত্যিক রিজিয়া রহমানের ইন্তেকাল. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  16. ঔপন্যাসিক রিজিয়া রহমান আর নেই. Jugantor (in Bengali). 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
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