Full Name: Jasimuddin
Birth Date: January 01, 1903
Birth Place: Tambulkhana, Faridpur, British India
Education: University of Calcutta
Occupation: Poet, Songwriter, Radio Personality
Spouse (s): Begum Mamtaz Jasimuddin
Religion: Islam
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Jasimuddin was a Bangladeshi poet, prose writer, songwriter, and radio personality who is still very much popular in the country. He is best known as Palli Kabi around the country. The poet is highly acclaimed around Bangladesh for his famous poem ‘Kabar’. Nakshi Kanthar Maath and Sojan Badiyar Ghat are his most notable literary works. His several poems translated into different languages around the world.
Early Life:
Jasimuddin was born on January 01, 1903, in Tambulkhana, Faridpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (now Bangladesh) in his maternal uncle’s house to Ansaruddin Mollah and Amina Khatun. His father was a school teacher where mother was a housewife.
He studied at Faridpur Welfare School. Jasimuddin completed his matriculation from Faridpur Zilla School in 1921. He completed IA from Rajendra College in 1924. Then he enrolled at the University of Calcutta where he completed graduation and master’s degree respectively in 1929 and 1931.
Career:
Jasimuddin started his career journey working as a collector of folk literature with Dinesh Chandra Sen and collected more than 10,000 folk songs. In 1938, he joined the University of Dhaka as a lecturer and left the university after six years. Then he joined the Department of Information and Broadcasting where he worked until retirement in 1962.
Jasimuddin started writing in his early life, during his student days, he writes the famous poem ‘Kabar’ which was placed in the entrance Bengali textbook while he was a student at Calcutta University. The writer is notable around the country for the depiction of rural life through his writing from the viewpoint of rural people. He is called as Palli Kabi as his writing brings a flavor of Bengal folklore.
Personal Life:
Jasimuddin married Begum Mamtaz Jasimuddin. The couple together had three sons named Jamal Anwar, Firoz Anwar and Khurshid Anwar, and two daughters named Hasna Moudud and Asma Elahi. Bangladeshi politician Moudud Ahmed is the husband of Hasna Moudud. Jasimuddin died on March 13, 1976, and buried near his home at Gobindapur, Faridpur.
Legacy:
A dormitory at Dhaka University is named after his name. A festival named Jasim Mela is observed each year in January commemorating his birthday.
Awards:
Ekushey Padak (1976)
Independence Day Award (1978)
President’s Award for Pride of Performance, Pakistan (1958)