Abu Rushd Matinuddin (1919–2010) born December 25, 1919 in Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, is a renowned modern Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

i author, using the literary name of Abu Rushd.

Life

After the Partition of India

Partition of India

The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...

 in 1947, Abu Rushd moved to Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

, leaving his parents and his brothers behind in Kolkata. In East Pakistan

East Pakistan

East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...

 he taught at several colleges before leaving for Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

 for an Honours degree in English. He taught English at various colleges in what was then East Pakistan. In 1971, he was posted as Educational Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington. When the Bangladesh Liberation War

Bangladesh Liberation War

The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....

 broke out in 1971, he swore allegiance to Bangladesh. After the liberation, he was posted to as Director of Punlic Instructions (DPI) and then to the Bangladesh High Commission in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 as Educational Counsellor. He died on February 25, 2010.

Works

Abu Rushd's first publication was a collection of short stories in 1939. Besides the novels listed below, he has written 50 short stories and an autobiography, which he considers his most important work. He has further done much translation, both from Bangla to English and English to Bangla, including Shakespeare's plays. He was also a regular columnist for four Bangladeshi newspapers.

Novels

• Elomelo (This and That, 1946)
• Samne Notun Din (A New Day Ahead, 1951)
• Doba Holo Dighi (Pool becomes Lake, 1960)
• Nongor (Anchor, 1963)
• Onishchito Ragini (The Unsure Tune, 1969)
• Sthagita Dwip (The Aborted Island, 1974)

Awards

• Taghma-i-Imtiaz (1963)
• Bangla Academy Award
  Bangla Academy Award
  Bangla Academy Award is a literary award given by the Bangla Academy of Bangladesh in recognition of creative genius in advancement and overall contribution in the field of Bangla language and literature....
  
   (1996)
• Habib Bank Award (1970)
• Ekushey Padak
  Ekushey Padak
  Ekushey Padak is one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement of 1952 that took place on February 21, 1952.-2001:*Shah Abdul Karim...
  
   (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)

External links

• The Aborted Island
• Short biographies including Abu Rushd
• cskbd.org