Well-known Bangladeshi poet, author and journalist Daud Haider passed away on Saturday night in Berlin, Germany. He was 73, his relatives confirmed.
Daud Haider breathed his last around 9:20 pm German time while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Berlin.
Born on 21 February 1952 in Pabna, Bangladesh, Daud Haider left the country in 1974 following public outrage over one of his poems, which was deemed offensive to religious sentiments.
A prominent literary figure of the 1970s, Daud Haider began his journalistic career as the literary editor of the Bengali daily Dainik Sangbad.
In February 1974, a poem he wrote was published in the paper, sparking controversy that led to his arrest following a case filed against him, allegedly for hurting the religious sentiments of Muslims.
In May 1974, he was expelled from the country.
Daud Haider first took refuge in India, where he lived in Kolkata for 13 years.
In the late 1980s, with the support of German Nobel Laureate G眉nter Grass, he went to Germany, settling in Berlin, where he lived until his death.
Despite his exile, Haider remained an active voice in literature, contributing to various publications and continuing to write.
His poetry has been translated into multiple languages and published both in Bangladesh and abroad.
Among his best-known works is Jonmoi Amar Ajonmo Pap (My Birth is My Eternal Sin).
