Rahat Khan

For the Pakistani singer, see Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Rahat Khan
Born	1940 (age 83–84) Kishoreganj, British India (now in Bangladesh)
Alma mater	University of Dhaka
Awards	Bangla Academy Award Ekushey Padak

Rahat Khan (Bengali: রাহাত খান) (born 1940) is a Bangladeshi author, novelist, editor and journalist. He has written more than 32 novels.

Early life

Khan was born in 1940 in Kishoreganj. He graduated from the Department of Bangla Language and Literature in 1961 at the University of Dhaka. During eight years of teaching, he served in colleges such as Nasirabad College of Mymensingh, Jagannath College of Dhaka, Commerce College of Chittagong and others. In 1969, he joined the daily Bangla language newspaper, the The Daily Ittefaq as the Assistant Editor. Later he became its editor.

Career

He wrote his first story as a third-grade student. In his words - "One day a kite pounced on a small tortoise before our eyes. The event shocked me very much and made me tearful. I don’t know why but I wrote a story on it and thus my authorial life began." In 1972, his first volume of stories Onischito Lokaloy (Uncertain Human Habitation) was published, which was followed by Ontohin Jatra (The Eternal Journey), Bhalo Monder Taka (Money for Good and Evil), Apel Songbad (News of the Apple, 1983) etc.

During the first years of the eighties, Khan’s debut novel Omol Dhobol Chakri (Milk-White Service) came out. He continued to write novels into the 1990s.

Themes

The middle and upper class life observed in his novels comes out of urban Dhaka society, while novels such as Omol Dhobol Chakri explore village life.

He also considered Ekushe February and the Bangladeshi Liberation War in works such as Hey Matoh Bong and Hey Mohasunyota.

Novels

• Omol Dhobol Chakuri (Milk-White Service, 1982)
• Ek Priyodorshini (A Beautiful Woman, 1983)
• Chayadompoti (A Shadow Couple, 1984)
• Sangharsha (Clash, 1984)
• Shahar (The City, 1984)
• Hey Onanter Pakhi (O, Bird of Infinity, 1989)
• Modhyomather Khelowar (The Forward Footballer, 1991)
• Akhanksha (Desire)
• Kayekjan (A Few Persons)
• Ognidaho (Conflagration)

Awards

• Bangla Academy Award (1973)
• Sufi Motahar Hossain Award (1979)
• Mahbubullah Zebunnesa Trust Award (1979)
• Abul Mansur Memorial Award (1980)
• Humayun Qadir Memorial Award (1982)
• Shuhrid Literary Award (1975)
• Trayi Literary Award (1988)
• Cetana Literary Award (1989)
• Ekushey Padak (1996)