The 71st birth anniversary of legendary writer, author, dramatist, screenwriter, playwright and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed is being celebrated today (Wednesday).

Humayun Ahmed (November 13, 1948 – July 19, 2012) who was often regarded as the best writer in Bengali literature after Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam got his major breakthrough with debut novel Nondito Noroke published in 1972.

He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh and are still popular among his readers. His books were the top sellers at the Ekushey Book Fair during the 1990s and 2000s.

For his majestic writing, he won many prestigious awards, including country’s highest honor Ekushey Padak (1994) award, and Bangla Academy Literary Award (1981), for his contribution to Bengali literature.

Rabeya, Sadat receive Exim Bank-Anyadin Humayun Ahmed Literary Award

As a prolific filmmaker, he went on to make a total of eight films – each based on his own novels and won seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films Daruchini Dwip, Aguner Poroshmoni and Ghetuputra Komola.

Often credited with revitalising Bengali literature, Humayun Ahmed is best known for his ‘magic-realism’ based writing.

Family members and different cultural organisations along with TV channels, radio stations and print media have chalked out various programmes to celebrate the birthday of the prominent figure of Bengali literature.

A solo book fair featuring books of Humayun Ahmed will be inaugurated at Public Library later on the day.

Meanwhile, the Exim Bank-Anyadin Humayun Ahmed Literary Award was distributed among the recipients at Bangla Academy’s Abdul Karim Shattya Bisharad Auditorium on Tuesday.

Prominent writer Rabeya Khatun and emerging writer Sadat Hossain won this year’s award.

Presided by National Professor Anisuzzaman, the programme was attended by Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen as the chief guest. Actor and former Minister of Cultural Affairs Asaduzzaman Noor, Humayun Ahmed’s brother Muhammed Zafar Iqbal and wife and actress Meher Afroz Shaon spoke on the occasion.