Today is the 102nd anniversary of the birth of novelist, short story writer and playwright Syed Waliullah.
Born on August 15, 1922 at Sholashahar in Chattogram, Syed Waliullah edited a hand-written literary magazine named 鈥楤horer Alo鈥� when he was a school student.
His first short story 鈥楬athat Alor Jhalkani鈥� was published in a magazine brought out by Dhaka College.
The writer had the unique chance to travel across the then East Bengal and experience diverse cultures and people, based on which he created many of the characters of his novels and plays that are known for portraying social bigotries, misuse of religion and others.
Syed Waliullah鈥檚 debut novel 鈥楲alsalu鈥� was published in 1948, which his wife Anne Marie, whom he married in 1955, translated into French. It was later translated into English under the header 鈥楾ree without Roots鈥� in 1967.
The fiction writer enriched Bangla literature penning novels such as 鈥楥hander Amabasya鈥� and 鈥楰ando Nadi Kando鈥� along with books of short stories 鈥楴ayanchara鈥� and 鈥楧ui Tir O Anyanya Galpa鈥�. He also composed three plays titled 鈥楤ahipir鈥�, 鈥楾arangabhanga鈥� and 鈥楽uranga鈥�.
He received Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1961, Adamjee Prize in 1965, Ekushey Padak posthumously in 1984 and others.
In memory of the writer, the Bangla Academy introduced Syed Waliullah Literary Award in 2014. The award recognises the works of expatriate Bangladeshi authors, writing in Bangla, English or any other language.
Syed Waliullah passed away in Paris, France on October 10, 1971.
