Sufia Kamal was born on 20 June 1911 at her uncle's house in Shaistabad, Barisal. His father's name was Syed Abdul Bari and his mother's name was Syeda Sabera Khatun. His father was a resident of Comilla. At the time when Sufia Kamal was born, Bengali Muslim women had to live under house arrest. They had no chance to go to school or college. The entry of Bengali language in the family was somehow forbidden. In that hostile environment, Sufia Kamal did not get the opportunity of formal education. He has been educated in self-education amidst various ups and downs of the family.
In 1918, when Sufia was seven years old, her father went missing following the saints. As a result, his mother Sabera Khatun forced him to come to his father's house and take shelter. For this reason he spent his childhood at his grandfather's house.
In the family where Sufia Kamal was born, women's education was not considered necessary. His mother was from the Nawab family of Shaistabad and the spoken language of that family was Urdu. For this reason, although there was a system of teaching Arabic and Persian to the girls in Andarmahal, there was no system of teaching Bengali. He learned Bengali mainly from his mother. His great uncle had a huge library at Nanabari. With the encouragement and help of her mother, she had the opportunity to read books in the library.
In 1924, at the age of 13, Sufia was married to her cousin Syed Nehal Hossain. Nehal was relatively modern-minded, he encouraged Sufia Kamal in social work and literary pursuits. She also made contact with literature and periodicals. Sufia started reading the writings of Bengali writers of that time. Sufia Kamal went to Calcutta in 1918. There he met Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. Begum Rokeya's words and deeds took a special place in Sufia Kamal's childhood. Begum Rokeya is also found in the works of Sufia Kamal.
In addition to reading literature, Sufia Kamal started writing literature. In 1926, his first poem 'Basanti' was published in the then influential periodical Sauga. During his stay in Calcutta in the thirties, he saw the bright stars of Bengali literature like Rabindranath, Nazrul, Sarat Chandra and others. Sufia Kamal was introduced to Rokeya by Anjumane Khawatine Islam, an organization founded by Begum Rokeya to encourage Muslim women to participate in cultural activities. Begum Rokeya's thoughts and promises were also transmitted to her, which had a far-reaching effect on her life.
He recalls the beginning of his literary endeavor as follows: ‘On such a rainy day, I was reading Kazi Nazrul Islam's article 'Hena' published in a Muslim literary magazine. Do I understand the meaning of love, separation, reunion? However, what is good, Is there any language to express the pain today? That addiction to writing prose. Then, while reading Rabindranath Tagore's poems in the expatriate newspaper, a strange fascination came and took the mind to some unknown state. Then I saw Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, Begum Sara Taifur writing. Begum Motahera Banu is writing the poem. I think they are writing, I can not write? The writing game started. What a secret, how reluctant, what a shameful scribble rhyme, story. But what is like the mind! Someone knows, he hides the writing for fear that someone will see it, and when he sees it again, he shrinks in shame.
Along with increasing social awareness, his literary activities continued. In 1937, his collection of stories Care Kanta was published. In 1938, Kazi Nazrul Islam wrote his first book of poetry, Sanjher Maya. The book garnered praise from intellectuals including Rabindranath Tagore.
Her husband's sudden death in 1932 put her in financial trouble. He started teaching in Calcutta Corporation School and remained engaged in this profession till 1942. In 1939, she got married to Kamaluddin Ahmed for the second time. For some time before partition, she was the editor of the women's magazine Begum.
Sufia Kamal died on November 20, 1999. He was buried with full state honors. She is the first Bangladeshi woman to get this honor. Every year on this day he is officially remembered.
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