Das Kundu, Haragopal

Das Kundu, Haragopal (?) manuscripts collector and a zamindar of Rangpur. His father, Kalinath Das Kundu was a Zamindar, in the middle of the nineteenth century he bought a zamindari and started living in Mahiganj of Rangpur.

Though Haragopal was a Zamindar by profession, he has a keen interest collecting manuscripts. He collected manuscripts of ancient punthi and poetry of medieval period. Some of his collected manuscripts: Puthi Adbhutacharyer Ramayana Adyakhanda, Jamini Bharat, Jagat Jiboner Bishori Padmapuran, Kalugazir Punthi, Naldoimanti Upakhyan, Mussalman Punthi, Chondika Bijoy; poetry' (written by poets of Bogra): Ganga Snaner Kabita, Karotoa Snaner Kabita, Fakir Majnur Kabita, Milon. These poems were read out at Rangpur Town Hall on 12 July 1906 on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Rangpur Sahitya Parisad.

Haragopal enhanced his wisdom as a writer. His books and articles: 'Karotoa' (published in two installments in the Rangpur Sahitya Parisad Patrika in 1313 BS) later on an enlarged version of the article was published as a book titled Pundravardhana O Korotoa in 1924; Sherpurer Itihas before its publication, it was serialised in Rangpur Sahitya Parisad Patrika in 5 installments; Bhabanipurer Itihas and Pallikahini.

Haragopal Das Kundu was not only an organizer of the rangpur sahitya parisad (1905) and the Rangpur Sahitya Parisad Museum but also Assistant Editor of the Rangpur Sahitya Parisad Patrika. He had a good command of a number of languages including French. [Muhammad Maniruzzaman]