(1929-2006)

Shamsur Rahman is indisputably the greatest living poet of Bangladesh, with more than sixty books of poetry to his credit. The renowned critic, Syed Manzoorul Islam, speaks of Rahman as having "produced a solid body of work which has permanently changed the geography and the climate of Bengali poetry. He has given it a new dimension and a meaning, he has created an ethos which belongs indisputably to him. He has given us a language, which we did not have. It is true he has built on the ground of the 30's poets, but he has developed the ground, explored into areas they thought too dark for exploration, has added new features to it, landscaped it and in the process left his footprints all over." The critic, Z. R. Siddiqui, describes Shamsur Rahman as one who is "deeply rooted in his own tradition." In his opinion, Shamsur Rahman "still soaks the language of our times, transcending the limits of geography. In his range of sympathy, his catholicity, his urgent and immediate relevance for us, Shamsur Rahman is second to none."

Shamsur Rahman did his Honours in English literature from Dhaka University. He had a long career as a journalist and was the Editor of a national daily, Dainik Bangla.

He has won numerous awards including Bangla Academy Award (1969), Ekushey Padak (1977), and Swadhinata Award (1991).