In remembrance of the short story writer Akhtaruzzaman Ilyas

Akhtaruzzaman Ilyas was a luminous and distinctive star in the firmament of Bengali fiction. He was unparalleled in transforming social reality, historical consciousness, and the inner conflicts of human beings into literature marked by profound artistic sensibility. His full name was Akhtaruzzaman Muhammad Ilyas.

He was born on 12 February 1943 in the village of Gotiya in Gaibandha district, at his maternal grandparents’ home. His ancestral residence was in Chelopara, near Bogura town. His father, Badiuzzaman Muhammad Ilyas, was a member of the East Bengal Provincial Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary in the Muslim League government—an influence that played a significant role in shaping the writer’s historical and political awareness.

He was an outstanding student throughout his academic life. He passed his Matriculation from Bogura Zilla School in 1958, completed his Intermediate (IA) from Dhaka College in 1960, and obtained his BA (Honours) in Bengali in 1963 and MA in 1964 from the University of Dhaka.

After completing his studies, he began his professional career as a lecturer at Jagannath College in Dhaka, where he taught for more than two decades, until 1983. He later served as Deputy Director of the Directorate of Primary Education, Principal of the Music College, an expert member of the Mofizuddin Education Commission, and as Professor and Head of the Department at Dhaka College.

Akhtaruzzaman Ilyas was associated with the Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir and maintained a clear moral commitment and sympathy towards the country’s progressive, humanist cultural and political movements. This ideological stance is deeply reflected in his literary works.

As a fiction writer, he gained particular renown for his artistic portrayal of social tensions, power politics, history, and the crises of individual lives. The greatest strength of his writing lies in his distinctive narrative style and his vivid use of living colloquial speech in dialogue—qualities that secured him a unique stature in Bengali fiction.

His notable works include: Anyaghare Anyaswar, Khoari, Dudhbhaate Utpāt, Chilekothar Sepai, Dozokher Om, Khoabnama, and Sanskritir Bhanga Setu, among others.

In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Bengali language and literature, he received the Bangla Academy Award in 1982. For his novel Khoabnama, he was awarded the Sadat Ali Akhand Award in 1995, and in 1996 he received the prestigious Anand Award from Kolkata.

His works have been translated into several foreign languages as well as a number of Indian languages. The novel Chilekothar Sepai has been adapted for the stage, and its inclusion in the syllabus of the Department of Comparative Bengali Literature at Jadavpur University stands as a testament to the international recognition of his literary excellence.

In his personal life, he was a reserved and private individual. His only son, Andalib Ilyas Partho, is currently serving as the Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata.

This towering figure of Bengali fiction, who elevated Bengali literature to a singular height, passed away in Dhaka on 4 January 1997. He was later posthumously awarded the Ekushey Padak, the state’s recognition of his enduring literary legacy.

With reverence and profound remembrance—
Akhtaruzzaman Ilyas.