Anisuzzaman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anisuzzaman
Anisuzzaman in 2016
Born	AM Anisuzzaman (1937-02-18)18 February 1937 Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	14 May 2020(2020-05-14) (aged 83) Dhaka, Bangladesh
Nationality	Bangladeshi
Alma mater	University of Dhaka
Occupation	Activist author administrator
Relatives	Sheikh Abdur Rahim (grandfather)
Awards	full list

Anisuzzaman (born February 18, 1937 – died May 14, 2020) was a very respected teacher and writer from Bangladesh. He was an expert in Bengali literature.

He was also an activist who worked for important causes. He took part in the Language Movement in 1952. He also joined the Mass Uprising in 1969. Later, he was part of the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

During the war, he helped the Government of Bangladesh with planning. After the war, he joined the National Education Commission. In 2018, the Government of Bangladesh honored him as a National Professor.

Early Life and Learning

Anisuzzaman was born in Calcutta in 1937. After India was divided in 1947, his family moved to Khulna. About a year later, they moved to Dhaka. His father was a doctor, and his grandfather, Sheikh Abdur Rahim, was a writer.

Anisuzzaman's first story was published in a magazine called Nowbahar in 1950. He studied Bengali at the University of Dhaka. He earned his first degree in 1956 and his master's in 1957. He worked with famous teachers like Muhammad Shahidullah and Munier Chowdhury. He got his Ph.D. in 1962 when he was only 25. He also studied in the United States and London later on.

His Work and Contributions

Anisuzzaman with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina

Anisuzzaman taught at the University of Dhaka for many years. He also taught Bengali at the University of Chittagong from 1969 to 1985. He worked on research projects for the United Nations University. He was also a visiting teacher at universities in Paris, North Carolina, and Calcutta.

During the Bangladesh Liberation War, he helped the government plan. After Bangladesh became free, he helped create the Constitution of Bangladesh. He was in charge of the Bengali language part of the constitution. He also led the Trustee Board of the Nazrul Institute. Since 2011, he was the president of the Bangla Academy.

His Activism

Anisuzzaman was very active in important movements. He joined the Language Movement in 1952. He also took part in the Mass Uprising in 1969. In 1971, he was part of the War of Liberation. He was also the secretary of the Bangladesh Teachers' Association that year. He was involved in the movement against dictatorship in 1990.

His Books

Anisuzzaman wrote many important books. Here are some of them:

Awards

Anisuzzaman receiving the Padma Bhusan award from the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

Anisuzzaman received many awards for his great work.

• Bangla Academy Literary Award for his research (1970)
• Ekushey Padak for his work in education (1985)
• Ananda Puraskar for a series of cassettes (1994)
• Honorary D.Lit from Rabindra Bharati University (2005)
• Sarojini Basu Award from University of Calcutta (2008)
• Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar Gold Plaque (2011)
• Padma Bhushan from India for literature and education (2014)
• Independence Day Award for literature from Bangladesh (2015)
• Nilkanta Sarkar Gold Medal from University of Dhaka
• Dawood Prize for literature
• Star Lifetime Award (2016)
• Ananda Puraskar for his autobiography Bipula Prithibi (2017)
• Jagattarini Medal from The University of Calcutta
• Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Gold Medal (2018)
• SAARC Literature Award (2019)

Personal Life

Anisuzzaman was married to Siddiqua Zaman. He believed in treating everyone equally, no matter their background or beliefs.

His Passing

Anisuzzaman passed away on May 14, 2020, in Dhaka. He had been sick for about three weeks before his death. He was buried at Azimpur Graveyard in Dhaka.