Noted poet, journalist and editor Sikandar Abu Zafar was born on March 19 atTentulia, under Satkhira district in 1919. He was the editor of the monthly literary magazine Samakal.

August 5 marked the 37th death anniversary of Zafar.

Zafar passed Entrance examination (1936) from Tala B Dey Institute, Satkhira and received his IA degree from Ripon College, Kolkata. He moved to Dhaka from Kolkata in 1950 and worked as a journalist for the dailies — Nabajug, Ittefaq, Sangbad and Millat. He founded and edited (1959-1970) a monthly magazine called Samakal. I Ie also set up a printing press called Samakal Mudrayan and a publishing house named Samakal Prakashani in 1958.

About Zafar and his poems, poet Rafiq Azad said, "I Ie was a true patriot and had a big heart. He was also a revolutionary thinker. His bold spirit was fully reflected in some of his ground-breaking poems.”

Poet Mahadev Saha said, “In the 1940s and 1950s, Bangla poetry was mostly romantic. Very few poets wrote about common people and social issues. Zafar's poems were unique and unparalleled in that regard.”

Abul Hasnat, editor of Kali O Kalani, reminisced: “Zafar played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual movement which started in the 1950s. He had a great ability to gather people for a cause within a short time. He will remain in our collective memory for his major contribution to Bengali literature.”

Zafar was one of the pioneering figures of the cultural movement that propagated Bengali national-

ism in East Pakistan in the 1960s. During the Liberation War in 1971, he composed songs of patriotic and revolutionary nature. I lis "Amader Sangram Cholbei”, in particular, motivated people throughout the war.

Mahfuz Ahmed Khan, columnist and literary critic, said, “Not just a powerful poet and writer, Zafar was a fearless and brilliant editor. Samakal, a literary magazine, was acclaimed for its rich content and scholarly writing. In 1960s, the

literary journal was the best among its contemporaries.”

Zafar's noted literary works include plays “Siraj-ud-Daulah” (1965), “Mohakobi Alaol” (1966); a collections of poems “Prashanna Prahar” (1965), “Timirantik” (1965), “Bangla Chharo” (1971) and many more.

The poet received the Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak posthumously, in recognition to his contribution to Bangla literature.