Fakrul Alam | |
|---|---|
 Fakrul Alam atBangla Academy, Dhaka (2013) | |
| Native name | ফকরুল আলম |
| Born | (1951-07-20)20 July 1951 (age 73) Ukilpara,Feni District,East Bengal,Dominion of Pakistan |
| Occupation | Academic, writer, translator |
| Language | Bengali, English |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Alma mater | St. Joseph Higher Secondary SchoolUniversity of Dhaka University of British Columbia |
| Notable awards | Bangla Academy Literary Award (2013) |
Fakrul Alam (born 20 July 1951) is a Bangladeshi academic, writer, and translator.[1] He writes on literary matters and postcolonial issues and translated works ofJibanananda Das andRabindranath Tagore into English. He is the recipient ofBangla Academy Literary Award (2012) in translation literature andSAARC Literary Award (2012).[2][3]
Fakrul Alam grew up in Ramkrishna Mission Road,Dhaka.[4] He began his schooling at Little Jewels Kindergarten and later attendedSt. Joseph's School and spent his college days inNotre Dame College. He completed BA and MA in English at the University of Dhaka, earned a second master's degree fromSimon Fraser University and achieved his PhD degree from theUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver. His PhD dissertation was on works ofDaniel Defoe.[4]
Fakrul Alam became a faculty member at the Department of English of the University of Dhaka after the liberation war of Bangladesh. As of today, he taught at several universities around the globe, including Clemson University, USA as a Fulbright Scholar, and Jadavpur University, India as a visiting associate professor.[5]Besides academic responsibilities, he was also the Director of the Advanced Studies in the Humanities of the University of Dhaka from 1993 to 1996, and Adviser of the Dhaka University Central Library from 2002 to 2003. He is currently a member of the Education Policy Implementation Committee constituted by the Government of Bangladesh.[5] He serves as an advisor at the Department of English ofEast West University.[6]
Fakrul Alam's first book wasDaniel Defoe: Colonial Propagandist.[4] He writes in a vibrant style with logical argumentation on literary matters that range from colonial to post-colonial literature.[7] For him, reading and writing are a living experience. He received widespread recognition as one of the best translators and foremost authorities of Jibanananda Das and Rabindranath Tagore.[8] Appreciating Fakrul Alam's translation of Jibanananda Das,Syed Manzoorul Islam said "the sights and sounds of Bengal's landscape, its crowded botany and its constantly shifting lights and shadows find their way into Alam's translation".[9] In 2011 he editedThe Essential Tagore in collaboration with Radha Chakravarty forVisva-Bharati University, India andHarvard University Press, USA.[10] Below is an excerpt of Fakrul Alam's translation of "Amar Shonar Bangla" (My Bengal of Gold) byRabindranath Tagore fromThe Essential Tagore:
"O mother, when I lay myself down at your feet;
Bless me with the dust that they tread, for they will bejewel me.
O mother dear, what little I have I will lay at your feet,
How fulfilling to stop adorning myself with foreign purchases,
To know that even the rope you provide for a noose can be my adornment!" (331)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
