Rabeya Khatun facts for kids

Rabeya Khatun (born December 27, 1935 – died January 3, 2021) was a famous writer from Bangladesh. She wrote many books, including over 50 novels and more than 400 short stories. Her writings covered different topics like essays, travel stories, and religious history.

She received important awards from the Government of Bangladesh. These include the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1973, the Ekushey Padak in 1993, and the Independence Day Award in 2017.

Rabeya Khatun passed away on January 3, 2021, at her home in Dhaka. She died from a heart attack.

Early Life and School Days

Rabeya Khatun was born on December 27, 1935. Her parents were Maulavi Mohammad Mulluk Chand and Hamida Khatun. She was born in a place called Bikrampur, which was part of British India at that time. Today, this area is in Bangladesh.

She was the second of three children in her family. Rabeya Khatun grew up in the Shantinagar area of Dhaka. She finished her school entrance exam from Armanitola School in 1948.

On July 23, 1952, she married Fazlul Haque. He was the editor of a magazine called Cinema. He also directed President, which was the first children's film made in Bangladesh.

Her Writing Career

Rabeya Khatun started her career working for Khawatin magazine. This magazine was edited by Jahanara Imam. After that, she worked as an editor for the literature section of Cinema magazine. She worked there with another writer named Zahir Raihan. Later, she became the main editor of a monthly magazine called Angana.

She was also a council member of the Bangla Academy. This is a very important organization for Bengali language and literature. Rabeya Khatun was also a judge for the Bangladesh National Film Awards. She judged for Bangladesh Shishu Academy and a TV show called Notun Kuri on Bangladesh Television.

Her Books and Stories

Rabeya Khatun's first story was called Prashno. It was published in a weekly newspaper named Juger Dabi. Her novel Rajarbagh was published in Begum magazine. She wrote her first novel, Madhumati, in 1963.

In 1990, she wrote a book called Ekattorer Noy Maash. This book was about the Bangladesh Liberation War. She also wrote two novels, Nirasraya and Biday O Ashok Reba, which were never published.

Popular Novels by Rabeya Khatun

• Madhumati (1963)
• Mon Ek Shwet Kapoti (Mind is a White Pigeon, 1965)
• Ononto Onwesha (Endless Pursuit, 1967)
• Rajarbagh (1967)
• Saheb Bazar (1967)
• Ferari Surjo (Fugitive Sun, 1975)
• Onek Joner Ekjan (One of Many Persons, 1976)
• Jiboner Ar Ek Naam Dibos Rojoni (Another Name of Life is Day and Night, 1980)
• Bayanno Golir Ek Goli (One of Fifty Two Alleys, 1984)
• Baganer Naam Malnichara (Name of the Garden is Malnichara)
• Ei Birohokal (This Time of Separation, 1995)
• Ei Bhora Bador Mah Bhador (This Rainy Day of the Month of Bhadra, 1995)
• Priya Gulshana (Beloved Gulshana, 1997)

Books Made into Movies

Some of Rabeya Khatun's books were made into movies. These include Kokhono Megh Kokhono Brishti (2003), Megher Pore Megh (2004), and Madhumati (2011).

Her Family Life

Rabeya Khatun lived in Banani, a residential area in Dhaka. She had two sons and two daughters. Her son, Faridur Reza Sagar, is the managing director of Impress Telefilm Limited and Channel i. Her daughter, Keka Ferdousi, is a well-known television chef. Her other children are Farhadur Reza Probal, who is an architect, and Farhana Kakoly.

Awards and Honors

Rabeya Khatun received many awards for her writing. Here are some of them:

• Bangla Academy Literary Award (1973)
• Humayun Kadir Memorial Award (1989)
• Ekushey Padak (1993)
• Kamar Mushtaree Shahitya Puroshkar (1994)
• Lekhika Sangha Award (1994)
• Nasiruddin Gold Medal (1995)
• Shere-e Bangla Gold Medal (1996)
• Jasimuddin Award (1996)
• Shapla-Doyel Award (1996)
• Wrishiz Shahitya Padak (1998)
• Anannya Literature Award (1999)
• Laila Samad Award (1999)
• Millennium Award (2000)
• Sheltech Award (2002)
• Uro Shishu Shahitya Award (2003)
• Michael Madhusudan Award (2005)
• Gettanjali Shommanona Padak (2015)
• Independence Day Award (2017)