Muhammed Zafar Iqbal : Bangladesh : Biography
Muhammed Zafar Iqbal
is one of the well-known Bangladeshi writers. Despite being a physicist by
qualification, he went on to make a name for himself in the field of
literature; his genre of writing is science fiction and children's literature.
His interest in writing developed during childhood through his father’s
motivation. After working for a couple of years in the field of research, he
took up teaching at the university level. However, he managed to extract time
from his busy schedule to fulfill his dream of becoming a writer. He is among
the first few writers who started authoring books on science fiction in Bengali
language. To add on, he is credited for focusing on young readers, and hence,
writes literature books for children, apart from publishing non-fiction books
as well, in physics and mathematics. He is also a renowned columnist who
contributes regularly to Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers. Several of his
novels have been adapted into dramas and films. He has been a recipient of
several awards in the field of literature, the most significant of them being
Bangla Academy Literary Award and Rotary SEED Award. At present, he heads the
Electrical and Electronics Engineering department at Shahjalal University of
Science and Technology (SUST)
Childhood & Early Life
·
Muhammed Zafar Iqbal
was born on December 23, 1952, in Sylhet, Bangladesh, to Faizur Rahman Ahmed
and Ayesha Akhter Khatun. He was the second of the three sons born to the
couple. His father was a police officer.
·
Due to his father’s
job, he spent his early years traveling to different parts of Bangladesh. His father
was captured and killed by the Pakistan’s invading army during the 1971
Bangladesh Liberation War.
·
He completed his
secondary school from Bogra Zila School, in 1968, and passed his higher
secondary education from Dhaka College, in 1970.
·
In 1976, he
graduated from Dhaka University with a Bachelor’s degree in physics, after
which he enrolled in the University of Washington. He earned his PhD degree in
1982.
·
Motivated by his
father during childhood, he started writing at a very young age, authoring his
first short story at the age of seven.
Career
·
As a student of
Dhaka College, he published his story ‘Copotronik Bhalobasha’ (Copotronik Love)
in a local magazine, Bichitra. He re-wrote the story to rule out the allegation
of replicating a foreign story and released it as a collection of stories
‘Copotronik Sukh Dukho’ (Copotronic Joy and Sorrows).
·
In addition to
science fiction, he is also known for writing novels for children and
non-fiction books on mathematics and physics. Subsequently, he went on to
become a foremost science fiction and children’s books writer.
·
After obtaining his
doctorate degree, he began working as a post-doctoral researcher with
California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in 1983.
·
In 1988, he left
Caltech and was employed as a research scientist at Bell Communications
Research (Bellcore).
·
He resigned from
Bellcore in 1994 and returned to Bangladesh, where he took up a teaching job at
the Computer Science and Engineering department of Shahjalal University of
Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet.
·
He was appointed as
the head of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering department, which he is
serving till date.
·
Some of his renowned
works include ‘Kajoler Dinratri’, ‘Ami Topu’, ‘Theory of Relativity’, ‘Gabbu’,
‘Animan’, ‘Aro tuntuni O aro Chotacchu’, ‘Sobuj Valvet’, ‘Quantum Mechanics’,
‘Rasha’, and ‘System Ediphas’.
·
A number of his
novels have been adapted into stage dramas and films, some of them are:
‘Bubuner Baba’, ‘Shat Char Dui’, ‘Amar Bondhu Rahsed’, ‘Shukno Ful-Rongin Ful’,
and ‘Batasher Simana Akasher Thikana’.
Awards & Achievements
·
He was bestowed with
the Shishu Academy Agrani Bank Shishu Shahitto Award, in 2001, and Quazi
Mahbubulla Zebunnesa Award, in 2002.
·
In 2003, he won the
Khalekdad Chowdhury Literary Award and Sheltech Literary Award.
·
In 2004, he received
the highest literature award in Bangladesh, the Bangla Academy Award, apart
from Uro Child Literary Award.
·
He won the American
Alimony Association Award, Dhaka University Alimony Association Award, and
Sylhet Naittamoncho Award in 2005.
·
In 2011, he was
honored with the Rotary SEED Award for his contribution in the field of
education.
Personal Life & Legacy
·
In 1978, Muhammed
Zafar Iqbal married Dr. Yasmeen Haque, who serves as the Dean of Life Science
Department and heads the Physics department, at SUST.
·
The couple has two
children: son Nabil and daughter Yeshim. Yeshim has released a translated
version of Muhammed Zafar Iqbal children’s book ‘Amar Bondhu Rashed’ (Rashed, My
Friend).
·
He has two brothers.
His elder brother, Humayun Ahmed, was a popular Bangla novelist and filmmaker,
while younger brother, Ahsan Habib, is a cartoonist and editor of satirical
magazine, Unmad (Mad).
Falderal
·
He was one of the
founders of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad and is presently the
Vice-President of Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad committee.