(1903-1976)

Jasimuddin, poet and litterateur, was born on 1 January 1903 in his maternal uncle's home at Tambulkhana in faridpur, son of Ansaruddin Mollah, a schoolteacher from Govindapur, also in Faridpur. Jasimuddin studied for some time at Faridpur Welfare School. He then went to Faridpur District School, from where he matriculated in 1921. He completed IA from Rajendra College in 1924, and BA and MA in Bangla from the University of Calcutta in 1929 and 1931 respectively.

From 1931 to 1937, Jasimuddin worked as ramtanu lahiri assistant research fellow under dinesh chandra sen, collecting folk literature. In 1938 he joined the university of dhaka as lecturer. He left the university in 1944 to join the Department of Information and Broadcasting. He continued working here, first under the Bengal government and then under the East Pakistan Government, until his retirement as Deputy Director in 1962.

Jasimuddin's talent as a poet developed early. As a college student, he wrote the poem 'Kabar' (Grave). The poem, a dramatic monologue of an old man talking to his grandson in front of his wife's grave, was included in school textbooks while Jasimuddin was still a student at university.

Jasimuddin's first book of verse, Rakhali (Shepherd), was published in 1927. His other books are Naksi Kanthar Math (1929), Sojan Badiyar Ghat (1933), Ranila Nayer Majhi (1935), Matir Kanna (1951), Suchayani (1961), Padma Nadir Deshe (1969), Bhayabaha Sei Dingulite (1962), Padmapar (1950), Beder Meye (1951), Pallibadhu (1956), Gramer Maya (1959), Thakur Badir Aninay (1961), Germanir Shahare Bandare (1975), Smaraner Sarani Bahi (1978), Bangalir Hasir Galpa, Dalim Kumar, etc. He also wrote a novel, Boba Kahini (1964). He edited two books on folk music: Jarigan (1968) and Murshida Gan (1977). Naksi Kanthar Math and Bangalir Hasir Galpa have been translated into English as The Field of the Embroidered Quilt and Folk Tales of East Pakistan respectively.

Called 'Palli Kavi' (folk poet), Jasimuddin is the poet of rural Bengal, depicting the natural beauty of the rural world as well as the lives of ordinary peasants. His poetic rhythms are drawn from folk poetry, easy on the ear and quick to imbed themselves in the memory. He was also a writer of fine prose, fluent, witty, and expressive.

Jasimuddin was one of the pioneers of the progressive and non-communal cultural movement. He was an ardent supporter of socialism and of Bengali nationalism. In the 1950s when the government of Pakistan attempted to stop broadcasting tagore songs, he protested boldly.

In 1969 Jasimuddin was awarded the DLitt by Rabindra Bharati University. He also won several awards, including the President's Award for Pride of Performance (1958), Ekushey Padak (1976) and Swadhinata Dibas Puruskar (posthumous, 1978). In 1974 he was also selected for the Bangla Academy Award but refused it. Jasimuddin died in Dhaka on 13 March 1976 and was buried in his own village.