Suchitra Sen (April 6, 1931) or Roma Dasgupta is a Bengali actress who has attained legendary status because of her performances in Bengali cinema. In particular, the movies in which she paired opposite another legend in Bangala films, Uttam Kumar, are all-time classics in Bengali cinema. She now lives a life of a recluse rarely making any public appearances. When she left movies, she was slowly but steadily losing the position of leading lady of Bengali silver screen. She is the first Indian actress to be awarded in an international film festival (Best Actress award for the movie Saat Paake Bandha in 1963 Moscow film festival).

She was born Roma Dasgupta in Pabna district in Bangladesh 1931. She married Dibanath Sen, son of a wealthy Bengali industrialist, in 1947 and had one child, Moon Moon Sen, who went on to become an actress. Her father Karunamoy Dasgupta was the head master of the local school and her mother's name was Indira Dasgupta. She was their fifth child and third daughter. Roma had formal education in Pabna.

Suchitra made her debut in films with Shesh Kothaay in 1952, but the film was unreleased. The following year saw her act opposite Uttam Kumar in Sharey Chuattor. The film became a box-office hit and it was remembered for launching Uttam-Suchitra as a leading pair. They went on to become the icons for Bengali melodramas for more than 20 years, becoming almost a genre to themselves. She received a Best Actress Award for the film Devdas (1955), which was her first Hindi movie. Her patented Bengali melodramas and romances especially with Uttam Kumar, made her the most famous Bengali actress ever. Her films ran through the 1960s and the 1970s. Her husband passed away, but she continued to act in films, such as the Hindi hit film Aandhi (1974), where she played a politician. Aandhi was inspired by India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sen received a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress, while Sanjeev Kumar, who essayed the role of her husband, won the Filmfare as Best Actor.

Anukulchandra (Thakur) (1888-1969) Hindu devotee, physician and founder of the satsanga Ashram (hermitage), was born on 14 September 1888 at Hemayetpur in the district of pabna. His father was Shibchandra Chakraborty, a contractor, and his mother, Manomohini Devi.

Anukulchandra studied up to Class IX in Pabna Institution and then went to Naihati High School, West Bengal for further studies. He got a diploma in Homeopathy from Calcutta National Medical School and returned to his village to practice. Anukulchandra believed that ill health was not only physical, but also mental and psychological. Accordingly, he placed considerable emphasis on the treatment of mental diseases as well.

Anukulchandra was initiated into devotional ways by his mother. This led to his forming a kirtan party and performing kirtan. Sometimes during a performance, he would go into a trance. His utterances during these trances were later collected and published in a book titled Punyapunthi. It was from this period that he started being addressed as 'Thakur'.

Anukulchandra set up a Satsanga Ashram at Pabna for fostering spiritual development. The four ideals of Satsanga are education, agriculture, industry and good marriage. He also set up a school, a charitable hospital, an engineering workshop, a publishing house, a printing press. The Satsanga still operates in both Bangladesh and West Bengal. In Bangladesh, it has offices in several places, including Dhaka and Chittagong.

In 1946 Anukulchandra went to Deoghar in Bihar and set up an ashram there on the model of Satsanga. He did not return to Pabna after the partition of India, but continued to remain in Deoghar where he died on 26 January 1969.

Anukulchandra was a prolific writer. Noted among his 94 books (82 in Bangali and 12 in English) are Punyapunthi, Anushruti (6 volumes), Chalar Sathi, Shashvati (3 volumes), Pritibinayak (2 volumes).

Muhammad Mansuruddin (1904-1987) educationist and folklorist, was born on 31 January 1904 in the village of Muraripur in the sujanagar upazila of pabna district. In 1928 he obtained his MA in Bangla from Calcutta University.

Mansuruddin started writing from his student days, inspired by his teacher Surendranath Sen. His first poem, 'Bedouin Musalman', was published in the magazine of Edward College, Pabna. Later his poems were published in journals such as Samyabadi and Prachi. He became familiar with Lalon songs through the prabasi. He became deeply interested in the folklore of Bengal. While he was studying at rajshahi college, he was encouraged by Principal Kumudinikanta Banerjee to work on folklore. Mansuruddin was devoted to bangla language and culture, and, during the Pakistan era, he was a bold voice in promoting Bengali culture. He collected and preserved Bangla folklore at a time when few people realised its importance and it was through his efforts that folklore gained recognition in Bangladesh. He maintained the tempo of his work right up his death. Even today he is a source of inspiration for folklore researchers. Since his student days Mansuruddin collected many folk writings from rural areas, especially from many areas of Pabna, Faridpur and Kushtia. His work was appreciated by rabindranath tagore, abanindranath tagore, bijay chandra majumder, and shashanka mohan sen. Mansuruddin worked all his life as advisor and patron of Bangladesh Folklore Council, Lalon Parishad, Lalon Academy (Kushtia), Harishpur Lalon Academy and Panju Shah Seba Sanskriti Sangha. Bangladesh Folklore Council held a reception in his honour on 9 March 1978. Mansuruddin's essays on folklore were published in bharati, Prabasi, bharatvarsa, Bangiya Sahitya Parisat Patrika, Bichitra and Masik mohammadi. His immortal work is Haramani (1930-1989), a collection of folksongs in thirteen volumes. His other works are Shirni (1931), Dhaner Manjari (1933), Agarbati (1938), Bangla Sahitye Muslim Sadhana (3 volumes, 1960-1966) and Iraner Kavi (1968). He received a number of awards for his contributions to Bangla literature and culture, among them, the Bangla Academy Sahitya Award (1965), Sher-e-Bangla National Award and Gold Medal (1980), Muktadhara Sahitya Award (1982), Ekushey Padak (1983), Nasiruddin Gold Medal (1983), and Independence Medal (1984). He was awarded an honorary D Lit degree from Rabindra Bharati University in 1987. He died in Dhaka on 19 September 1987

Bande Ali Mia, (1906-1979) poet, novelist, playwright and writer of children's literature, was born in the village of Radhanagar in pabna district on 15 December 1906. He passed the Entrance examination (1923) from Majumder Academy in Pabna and studied painting (1927) at the Indian Art Academy in Kolkata. For some time he worked as a journalist in the magazine Islam Darshan, and then taught at a Calcutta Corporation school (1930-1950). He subsequently moved to East Pakistan, where he worked at the dhaka and rajshahi radio stations.

Bande Ali Mia wrote in a variety of genres such as poetry, novel, play, biography and children's literature. His noteworthy books include poetry anthologies, Mainamatir Char (1930), Anurag (1932), Padmanadir Char (1953), Madhumatir Char (1953), and Dharitri (1975); novels, Basanta Jagrata Dvare (1931), Shes Lagna (1941), Aranya Godhuli (1949), and Nidbhrasta (1958); an anthology of short stories, Taser Ghar (1954); a play, Masnad (1931); juvenile literature, Chor Jamai (1927), Meghkumari (1932), Bagher Ghare Ghoger Basa (1932), Sonar Harin (1939), Shiyal Panditer Pathshala (1956), Kunchbaran Kanya (1961), and Sat Rajyer Galpa (1977); and biographies, Kamal Ataturk (1937), Sharat Chandra and Chhotoder Nazrul (1958).

Bande Ali Mia also worked as a graphic artist and designer. For his contribution to children's literature he was awarded the Bangla Academy Prize (1962), President's Award (1965) and Uttara Sahitya Majlis Padak (1977). He died in Rajshahi on 17 June 1979.

Language Movement activist Aminul Islam Badsha devoted his life to the country and fellow countrymen. He was actively involved in the Language Movement. He voiced a strong protest against the atrocities by the Pakistani regime.


Aminul Islam Badsha had contributed immensely to the well-being of the people during all democratic movements that included the Language Movement, Mass Upsurge of 1969 and Liberation War. There was no personal interest behind his political career. Aminul Islam Badsha was born on April 30,1930 at the village 'Krishnapur' in Pabna. He died on August 4, 1998. He was the joint convenor of the Pabna unit of 'Rastrobhasha Sangram Parishad' in 1948.

Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal (1936-1989)  poet, educationist, singer and composer of songs, was born in Gobinda village of ullahpara upazila in the district of pabna on 11 March 1936. After passing MA in Bangla in 1959 from Dhaka University, he taught at different local colleges before joining the Department of Bangla, Dhaka University, as a lecturer in 1963. He joined Rajshahi University as senior lecturer of Bangla in 1965.

In 1966 he went to London University on a Commonwealth Scholarship and earned PhD degree for his dissertation on Bangla writing and the Bangla press. Abu Hena joined Chittagong University in 1973. In 1978 he rejoined the Bangla Department of Dhaka University as professor. He became Director General of the bangladesh shilpakala academy in 1984 and of the bangla academy in 1986. While serving the Bangla Academy, he died of heart disease on 23 September 1989.

Abu Hena was one of the young writers of the new literature of the fifties. Fond of poetry, he published an anthology, Purba Banlar Kavita (Poems of East Bengal), in collaboration with Mohammad Mahfuzullah in 1954. He also wrote poems and composed songs, many of which were sung by his friends, Abu Bakr Khan, Anwaruddin Khan and Md Asafaddaula, thus helping in the creation of modern songs. Among his popular songs was 'Sei champa nadir tire', sung by Abu Bakr Khan. Abu Hena also had a mellifluous voice and regularly performed on Dhaka Radio. His voice could convey intimate feelings and deep emotions, making his songs memorable. Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal produced three books of poems: Apan Yauban Bairi (My Wayward Youth, 1974), Yehetu Janmandha (Since Born Blind, 1984) and Akranta Ghazal (Oppressed Ghazal, 1988) and a compilation of songs Ami Sagarer Nil (I Am the Blue of the Sea, 1995). He was also a fine prose writer and wrote several essays on bangla literature, which have been collected in Shilpir Rupantar (Transformation of the Artist) and Katha O Kavita (Discourse and Poetry). These books are a valuable contribution to Bangla literary criticism. He also used to write witty columns, which were greatly acclaimed. Abu Hena's research work written in English, The Bengali Press and Literary Writing, is a discussion of literature published in the Bangla periodicals of 19th century Kolkata.

M Akbar Ali, (1911 - 2001) educationist, researcher and writer. Akbar Ali was born on 1 March 1911, in the Gopalpur village of sujanagar upazila, pabna. He passed the ISc examination from the Pabna Edward College, BSc examination in Chemistry from the Presidency College and obtained the MSc degree in 1933 from the University of Calcutta securing first class first position. M Akbar Ali joined the government service as an auditor of the Income Tax Department after working for a brief period as a research fellow at University of Calcutta. As an auditor he served in Khulna and Chittagong for some years, then was transferred to Calcutta office in 1942. He returned to Dhaka in 1947. In 1954, Akbar Ali was appointed as a Joint Commissioner of the Income Tax Department in Karachi and later promoted to the post of Under Secretary of the Ministry of Finance. He retired as a Deputy Secretary.

From student life, Akbar Ali used to write in various newspapers and magazines including prabasi, mohammadi, saogat and Azad. His first book Chad Mamar Desh was published in 1936. His notable publication is a 12-volume book series in Bangla Vijnane Musalmander Abadan (Muslim contributions to sciences). Three volumes of this series include discussions on mathematics, two volumes on chemistry, four volumes on medical sciences and three volumes on geography.

His other important books are Science in the Quran (3 volumes), Aspects of Science in Religions: A Comparative Study (3 volumes), Jabir Ibn Haiyan, Al Biruni, Ibn Sina, etc. Jointly with some eminent scientists and scholars of the country, M Akbar Ali completed another two notable publications - Scientific Indication in the Holy Quran and Muslim Contribution to Sciences.

M Akbar Ali was involved in many social activities. He was also one of the founder of the Satbaria Girls School and College. He died on 18 January 2001 in Dhaka.

Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish, (1900-1986) politician and parliamentarian. He was born in 1900 AD at village Tarutia in Sirajganj district. Abdur Rashid took active part in the Khilafat and non-cooperation movement (1920-22) when he was a student of entrance class in the local Diamond Jubilee High School. He organised public meetings in the area to create public opinion in favour of the movement and established congress office at Salanga-hat. A peasant uprising was initiated by him in 1922, and he was arrested and convicted for six months. Abdur Rashid subsequently received his higher education from the Deoband Madrasa of North India.

His extraordinary performance in a debating competition held in Ershad Islamia College in Lahore earned him the credit of the best orator, and since then he was reputed as 'tarkabagish' (master debater). Maulana Tarkabagish joined muslim league in 1936 and was elected member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly in 1937 and in 1946. While a member of the East Pakistan Provincial Assembly he walked out from the assembly session protesting against the police firing on the procession of the students and public and killing of students on 21 February 1952, and subsequently resigned from the Muslim League Parliamentary party.

He was arrested on 23 February 1953 to be released on 1 June. Later Tarkabagish joined the Awami Muslim League. He was elected a member of the Provincial Assembly in 1954 as a candidate of the united front, and a member of the constituent assembly of pakistan in 1956. At the sessions of the Constituent Assembly held at Murry (1955) and at Lahore (1956) he delivered his speeches in Bangla in showing respect to his mother tongue. He was the president of the East Pakistan Awami League between 1957 and 1966. The awami league was then divided into two factions, pro-Six point and pro-PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement). He was elected president of the ad hoc committee of East Pakistan branch of pro-PDM Awami League in 1967. After the mass upsurge of 1969 he joined the pro-Six point group. He was elected a member of the Pakistan National Assembly in 1970 from Pabna as a nominee of the Awami League.

Maulana Tarkabagish presided over the first session of the jatiya sangsad of independent Bangladesh in 1972. He was elected member of the Jatiya Sangsad in 1973 as a nominee of the Awami League. In 1976, Maulana Abdur Rashid himself floated a political party named Gana Azadi League and was elected its president. A 15-party alliance was formed at a combined meeting of 15 political parties presided over by the Maulana on 30 January 1983. He played an important role as one of the leaders of the alliance in the movement against military rule of hussain muhammad ershad. He was all along uncompromising towards fundamentalism and sectarianism. He died in Dhaka on 20 August 1986. Maulana Abdur Rashid Tarkabagish was honoured with the Independence Day Award (posthumously) by the government of Bangladesh in 2000 AD.

Abdul Ghani Hazari, (1921-1976) poet and journalist, was born on 12 January 1921 in the village of Nayagram in pabna. He obtained BA Honours in Philosophy from Calcutta University in 1944. He took admission in MA, but could not complete his studies. Abdul Ghani's career as a journalist began in 1947, shortly before partition, when he joined Alodan, a weekly magazine published from Kolkata, as editor.

After 1947 he came to dhaka and was appointed assistant manager of the Jubilee Press. He published Chandrabindu, Mukti (1950) and The Republic. From 1965 to 1968, he worked in different capacities at The Pakistan Observer, Dainik Sangbad, Purbadesh, Chitrali and Parikrama. After the liberation of Bangladesh, he was made administrator of the Observer Group of Publications (1972-73) and chairman of the Newspaper Management Board (1974-1976). 

Apart from his journalistic activities, Abdul Ghani played an active role in establishing and leading various organisations such as Lekhak Sangha, Dhaka Art School (1948) and Diabetic Association. Abdul Ghani was also an urbane and witty poet who revealed the incompatibilities and perversions of urban life. Among his poetical works are Samanya Dhan (1959), Katipay Amlar Stri, Suryer Sindi (1965), Jagrata Pradip (1970). He was also a translator; among his translated works are Svarnagardabh (1964) and Froider Manahsamiksa (1975). Kalpenchar Diary (1976) is a compilation of his belles-letters. He received the UNESCO Award for Katipay Amlar Stri in 1964 and the Bangla Academy Prize for Poetry in 1972.

Dr. Mohammad Fazle Rabbi was born in Pabna in 1932. He was a brilliant student from childhood. He passed matriculation from Pabna Zilla School in 1948 and I.Sc from Dhaka College in 1950. He was an activist during the Language Movement in 1952. He passed MBBS from Dhaka Medical College in 1955. He received gold medal for securing top position in MBBS examination. He joined Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as assistant surgeon in 1956. In 1959-60 he was promoted to the post of registrar in medicine. He obtained MRCP in cardiology from Edinborough in England and worked at various hospitals in that country to acquire experience. In 1962 he obtained MRCP in general medicine from England. He came back to the country in 1963 and joined Dhaka Medical College and Hospital as associate professor of medicine. In 1968 he worked as professor of medicine and professor of cardiology at the same time.

He was known as a progressive political personality and social worker. He was first to talk about the concept of people-oriented health care system in 1969. Besides teaching he used to do research also. His research-based articles have been published in British Medical Journal and Lancet. He had started to write a book on medicine but could not finish it.

Dr. Fazle Rabbi married in 1957. He became a proud father of a son and a daughter. Regarding his death his wife Dr. Jahanara Rabbi has to say the following:

On 15 December the curfew was relaxed for two hours. Despite his wife's objection he had gone to see a non-Bengali patient in the old part of Dhaka. He had bought plenty of vegetables on his way back. Though his wife requested him repeatedly to move out from the house at 75, Shiddeshwari, he did not agree. On that fateful day he took some rest after lunch. In the afternoon, members of Pakistan army, Al Badar and Rajakars circled his house. They came in a microbus and a jeep. About six soldiers took him towards the jeep. As his wife came out running they pointed a gun at her and stopped her from advancing any farther. Dr. Rabbi walked towards the jeep with his head held high. It was known that on 15 December midnight Dr. Rabbi along with some other intellectuals were taken in a truck from the Lalmatia Physical Training Institute to the Rayerbazar brickfield and murdered in a brutal manner. His dead body was identified on 18 December.

Mr. Osman Ghani Khan was born on January 1, 1923 in Bera Thana of Pabna District in Bangladesh. He was the eldest son of late Mamtazuddin Khan and late Diljan Begum.

Mr. Osman Ghani Khan was a meritorious student all through his academic career. After passing his intermediate examination from Karatia Sa'adat College in Tangail in the year 1940, he obtained his B.A. (Honours) and M.A. degrees in Economics from the Calcutta University in 1943 and 1945 respectively. Thereafter, he competed and stood first in the Bengal Civil Service (BCS Executive) Examination in undivided India in the year 1946 and served as Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector in erstwhile East Pakistan. He later competed in the Central Superior Service (CSS) Examination of Pakistan in 1949 and joined the Pakistan Military Accounts Service. He was the senior most Bengali officer from erstwhile East Pakistan in the combined finance services of the then Pakistan. He held many important positions during his long service career with the erstwhile central Government of Pakistan and, subsequently, the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

After retirement from government service in 1982, Mr. Osman Ghani Khan contested the elections to the national parliament (Jatiyo Sangsad) held under the caretaker government in 1991. He was elected as a Member of the Fifth Parliament from Pabna 2 constituency with an overwhelming majority and was appointed as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Establishment.

Mr. Osman Ghani Khan passed away on April 26, 2000 at the age of 77 years. He left behind his wife, Mrs. N. G. Banu, son Omar Farooq Khan, daughter Ismet Zerin Khan, daughter-in-law Salma Khan and two grand children, Muhammad Shahriar Omar Khan and Zehra Naureen Khan.

Dr. A B Mirza Azizul Islam was born in Sujanagar, Pabna on 23 February 1941.

He studied BA (Hons.) and MA in Economics from Dhaka University. He studied M A in Development Economics at Williams College, Masachusetts, USA in 1975. He also obtained Ph.D in Economics from Boston University, USA.

Mr. Azizul Islam worked as a lecturer at Dhaka University from 1962-64. He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1964. He worked in different capacities in administrative service from 1967-82. Mr. Azizul Islam worked for ESCAP in Bangkok as Economic Affairs/Senior Economic Affairs Officer from 1982-86. He also worked as the Chief of Development Economic Section from 1987 to ’92 at the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations, New York.

He worked as Director, Research and Policy Analysis Division, United Nations, ESCAP in Bangkok from 1993-2001. He also worked as a consultant to UNCTAD, World Bank and Centre for Policy Dialogue.

He was the Chairman of Bangladesh Securities & Exchange Commission from November 2003 to February 2006 and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sonali Bank from April 2006 to November 2006.

Mr. Azizul Islam and his wife Mrs. Nilufar Aziz have a son.