Legacy of Moniruddin Yusuf

The Legacy of Moniruddin Yusuf began with his birth on February 13, 1919, in the Kishoreganj District of Bangladesh, to Maulvi Misbah. Believed to come from a Mughal ancestry, his family spoke Urdu at home, which shaped his early education under an Urdu teacher. He later attended the local Middle English School, Ramananda High School, Kishoreganj, and Zila School, Mymensingh, passing his Entrance examination in 1938. He completed his intermediate studies at Dhaka Intermediate College (1940) and joined the Bangla Department of Dhaka University, though he paused his studies to travel to Calcutta, Delhi, and Bombay, working briefly before returning home.

Moniruddin Yusuf’s career blended journalism and public service. He worked for the Pakistan Observer and later The Sangbad, eventually joining the Public Relations Department of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, where he edited Krishi Samachar until retiring in 1979.

A prolific writer, Moniruddin authored 28 books spanning poetry, fiction, plays, essays, biographies, works for young readers, translations, and autobiography. His notable works include fiction titles like Jhader Rater Shese, Panser Kanta, and Or Bayes Yakhan Egaro; the play Isha Khan; essays such as Rumi’s Masnavi, Urdu Sahityer Itihas, and Bangla Sahitye Sufi Prabhab; biographies like Hazrat Fatema O Hazrat Ayesha; and works for young readers including Chhotader Islam Parichay and Mahakavi Ferdousi. His autobiographies, Amar Jiban and Amar Abhijvata (1992), offer personal reflections on his life and literary journey.

Beyond Bangla, Moniruddin conducted extensive research in Urdu and Persian literature. He authored a comprehensive history of Urdu literature and translated Ferdousi’s epic Shahnameh into Bangla in six volumes (1991). Other translations include Iqbaler Kavya Savchayan (1960), Diwan-e-Ghalib (1964), and Kalame Raghuib (1966). Several of his manuscripts remain unpublished. He also explored cinema, beginning a film titled Madhurati, which remained incomplete.

Moniruddin Yusuf’s contributions earned him multiple accolades, including the Governor’s Gold Medal, Habib Bank Literary Award, Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978), Abul Mansur Ahmed Literary Award, and the Ekushey Padak (1993, posthumous).

He passed away in Dhaka on February 11, 1987, leaving behind a rich legacy as a poet, writer, philosopher, journalist, translator, and cultural scholar. His works continue to inspire readers, preserving a timeless literary and philosophical heritage for future generations.