Culture Desk
Rabeya Khatun born on December 27, 1935 in Vikrampur is one of the most prolific writers of modern Bangladesh. During the fifties of the twentieth century she started her authorial life with a short story “Proshno”. Later on in the year 1963, her debut novel Modhumoti was published which brought her satisfactory acquaintance to the Bangali readership. In the same decade a good number of her novels came out that established her not only as a representative of the women writing community but as a major fiction writer of the country. Her other novels include: Mon Ek Shwet Kopoti (Mind is a White Pigeon,1965), Ononto Onnesha (Endless Pursuite,1967), Rajabagh(1967), Shaheb Bazaar (1967), Ferari Surjo (Fugitive Sun,1975) etc.
Rabeya Khatun’s marks in other genres of literature are short stories, reminiscences, travelogues etc. Her volumes of stories are: Amar Egaroti Golpo (My Eleven Stories, 1982); Nirbachito Golpo (Selected Stores, 1990); Modhyorate Sat Mile (Seven Miles at Midnight, 1996) etc. Her travelogues include: Kumari Matir Deshe (In the Land of Maiden Soil, 1994); Thames Theke Niagara (From Thames to Niagara, 1993) etc. The two memoirs that brought her huge reputation are Swapner Shohor Dhaka (Dhaka: A City of Dream, 1994) and Ekatturer Noi Mash (Nine Months of 1971, 1996). She has penned a number of books for juveniles as well.
The debut novel of Rabeya Khatun deals with the problems of the weavers on the bank of the river Modhumoti after the partition of India. A true picture of that society: their beliefs and prejudices; poverty and financial constraints; hopeful and rebellious bent of mind have been portrayed from a very practically experienced view. The economic, cultural and educational sketches of that locality make a whole picture.
Her other novel Onote Oneshwa presents the middle class Dhaka society, though the writer has come across the limitations of that society which may seen impractical to many Bangladesh readers. The uprising middle class rushing towards pomposity and extravagance and licentious adulteries as byproducts of these have been focused very meticulously.
The black night of 25 March of the year 1971 is the focal point of Rabeya Khatun’s tour de force Ferari Surya. During the decade of Ayub regime (1958-1968), in the social, political, economic and cultural arena there arose a huge tumult across the whole nation. The novelist has transformed the rebellion against the Pakistan domination through the characters of Abed, Ashek, Iqbal, Abdullah, Ramjan who later on participate in the Independence war in 1971.
Rabeya Khatun is one of the few writers of Bangladesh who have been honoured with the highest national award Ekushe Podok. She won the Bangla Academy Award in 1973.
