Syed Shamsul Haque

Syed Shamsul Haq (27 December 1935 – 27 September 2016) was a Bangladeshi writer. He was awarded Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1966 (the youngest among all to receive it), Ekushey Padak in 1984 and Independence Day Award in 2000 by the Government of Bangladesh for his contributions to Bangla literature. His notable works include "Payer Awaj Pawa Jai", "Nishiddho Loban", "Khelaram Khele Ja", "Neel Dongshon" and "Mrigoya". Haq was born in Kurigram on 27 December 1935 to Syed Siddique Husain, a homeopathic physician, and Halima Khatun. He was the eldest of the eight children. In 1951, he went to Bombay to work as an assistant to film director Kamal Amrohi while he was making his film Mahal but left the job the next year. Haq was married to Anwara Syed Haq. She is a member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London. Together they have one daughter, Bidita Sadiq, and one son, Ditio Syed Haq. On 27 September 2016, he died of lung cancer at the age of 80 in Dhaka.