Mohammad Najibar Rahman

Mohammad Najibar Rahman (1860 - October 18, 1923) was a Bengali writer of fiction from the nineteenth century. He gained great popularity as a novelist during his times and was honored with the title "Sahityaratna" (Literary Jewel). He is considered as a representative of Bengali Muslim writers of the era and is most known for his novel Anwara (1914).[1]

Novelist Najibar Rahman

Life

He was born in the Charbeltail village in Shahjadpur Upazila in Sirajganj District. Due to socioeconomic conditions, he was only able to study till school. He studied at Normal school in Dhaka.

After school, he worked at a Neel Kuthi(Indigo factory) in Jalpaiguri. He also worked as a postmaster for some time. But, mostly, he served as a teacher all through his life at different schools like Bhangabari Middle English School in Sirajganj, Salanga Minor School, Rajshahi Junior Madrasa etc.. He was a home-tutor of the young Mahmuda Khatun Siddiqua, who later became a writer and poet.[2]

During his tenure as a teacher in Salanga, he played a key role in the protest that lead to the withdrawal of the local Zamindar's ban on eating beef.

In 1892, he founded a Maktab in his village, which later was converted to a girls' school.

Prominent Muslim Bengali author Ismail Hossain Siraji inspired him to get involved in literary activities. He felt the oppression of Bengali Muslims by British Indian administrators in the context of Bengal Partition in 1905. Inspired by the notion of a free nation during this time, he published his first collection of essays in the book named Bilati Barjan Rahasya(1904). In 1905, he joined the meeting of East Bengal's Muslim leaders presided by Nawab Khwaja Salimullah.[3]

On 18 October 1923, he passed away at Hati Qumrul village in Raiganj.

Literary work

Najibar Rahman wrote about 20 novels. His first novel Anwara(1914) made him a well-known author. His novels sketches the lives of rural Muslim families that had little representation in the Bengali literature of the time.

Some of his literary work are listed below.

Novels:

  • Anwara (1914)
  • Premer Samadhi (1915)
  • Chandtara (1917)
  • Parinam (1918)
  • Gariber Meye (1923)
  • Duniya Ar Chaina (1924)
  • Meherunnisa.

Essays collections:

  • Bilati Barjan Rahasya (1904)
  • Sahitya Prasabga (1904).

References
  1. "Rahman, Sahityaratna Mohammad Najibar - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  2. "Siddiqua, Mahmuda Khatun - Banglapedia". en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  3. "আজ নজিবর রহমান সাহিত্যরত্নের ৯৬তম মৃত্যুবার্ষিকী | কালের কণ্ঠ". Kalerkantho (in Bengali). 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
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