Sayeed Ahmed (1 January 1931 – 21 January 2010) was a Bangladeshi dramatist, playwright, writer and sitar player.[1] He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1974 and Ekushey Padak in 2010 by the Government of Bangladesh.[2]
Sayeed Ahmed | |
|---|---|
সাঈদ আহমদ | |
 | |
| Born | 1 January 1931 |
| Died | 21 January 2010 (aged 79) Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Playwright |
| Father | Mirza F Mohammad |
| Relatives |
|
Background
editAhmed was born on 1 January 1931 at Islampur in Old Dhaka in the-then Bengal Presidency in British India into a Mirza family.[3] His mother was Jamila Khatun.[4] His father, Mirza Fakir Mohammad, was the owner of a commercial theatre, Lion Theatre, at Islampur.[5] Ahmed had three elder brothers – Nasir Ahmed, radio personality and journalist Nazir Ahmed and painter Hamidur Rahman.[5] Ahmed studied at Dhaka Collegiate School.[5] He completed his bachelor's in international studies from the University of Dhaka.[4] He later studied for his master's at the London School of Economics in 1954.[5] In 1956, Ahmed moved back to Lahore and joined the public service.[5]
Career
editAhmed, along with Shamsur Rahman and Hasan Hafizur Rahman, compose and wrote radio plays in the early 1950s.[5] He played sitar in BBC and acted on stage in London and New York.[5][6] He was the sitarist during the Europe tour of Uday Shankar.[5]
Ahmed served as the secretary of Ministry of Youth and Sports and the director general of Bangladesh Television.[5] He served as guest lecturer in Georgetown University, and other academies in Brazil, China, France, Germany, The Netherlands, India, Japan, Malaysia and Russia.[5]
Personal life
editAhmed was married to Parvin Ahmed.[4] He had two brothers - journalist Nazir Ahmed and sculptor Hamidur Rahman.[7]
Works
edit- Kalbela (originally written as The Thing in English; 1962)[5]
- Milepost (1965)
- Trishnay (1968)
- Ek Din Protidin (1974)
- Shesh Nawab (1988)
Ahmed's plays was translated into French, German, Italian, Urdu and Punjabi and were staged by different troupes in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and United States.[5] He created "Bishwa Natok", a program in Bangladesh Television, where he introduced and directed plays of international fame.[8]
Awards
edit- Bangla Academy Literary Award (1974)
- Legion of Honour from the French Government (1993)[7]
- Shilpakala Academy Award (2007)[8]
- Ekushey Padak (2010)
References
edit- ^ "Playwright Sayeed Ahmed no more". The Daily Star. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- ^ "15 named for Ekushey Padak-2010". The Daily Star. 2010-02-17. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- ^ "Sayeed Ahmed's second death anniversary observed". The Daily Star. 2012-01-22. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ a b c বরেণ্য নাট্যব্যক্তিত্ব সাঈদ আহমদ আর নেই. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ershad Kamol (2010-01-05). "A Versatile Cultural Icon". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ "First Death Anniversary of Sayeed Ahmed Today". The Daily Star. 2011-01-21. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ a b "Sayeed Ahmed: A cultural icon". The Daily Star. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
- ^ a b "Sayeed Ahmad: An icon in the world of drama". The Daily Star. 2007-11-04. Retrieved 2020-08-21.