Dhaka, Jan 03 –Eminent novelist Rabeya Khatun passed away in the city on Sunday at the age of 85.
According to her family sources, Rabeya Khatun breathed her last at her Banani residence due to old-age complications.
Her body will be taken to Bangla Academy premises at 12 pm on Monday and then her body will be taken to the Channel-i premise at 3 pm where a namaz-e-janaza will take place.
Then the novelist will be buried at the Banani Graveyard after Asr prayers.
Rabyea Khatun was born to Maulavi Mohammad Mulluk Chand and Hamida Khatun on December 27, 1935, in Bikrampur in the then British India (now Munshiganj District, Bangladesh),
In her illustrious career spanning over 60 years, Rabeya Khatun wrote over 50 novels and more than 400 short-stories featuring versatile topics. She also wrote a handful of travel blogs.
Khatun’s first story Proshno was published in weekly ‘Juger Dabi’ magazine and her novel ‘Rajarbagh’ was published in Begum magazine.
She wrote her first novel Madhumati in 1963, depicting the handloom artists’ struggles in a fictional narrative, which cemented her position as a novelist in the country.
Ekattorer Noy Maash (1990) is one of her most significant creations which she wrote as a memoir of the War of Liberation in 1971.
Three of her books were adopted for feature films – Kokhono Megh Kokhono Brishti (2003), Megher Pore Megh (2004) and Madhumati (2011).
Khatun also worked in Khawatin magazine edited by Jahanara Imam. She worked as the editor of the literature section of the magazine ‘Cinema’ along with legendary filmmaker Zahir Raihan and later became the editor of monthly ‘Angana’ in the 1950s.
For her immense contributions in Bengali literature, Rabeya Khatun was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1973, Ekushey Padak in 1993 and Independence Day Award in 2017.
Rabeya Khatun married ATM Fazlul Haque, a journalist, critic and filmmaker on July 23, 1,952 (passed away in 1990).
Her son Faridur Reza Sagar is the current managing director of Impress Telefilm Limited and Channel I, daughter Keka Ferdousi is a noted chef and television cooking show host, another son Farhadur Reza Probal is an architect and her youngest daughter Farhana Kakoly is a homemaker. – UNB
