Akbar, Chowdhury Golam

Akbar, Chowdhury Golam (1921-1988) writer and collector of folk literature. He was born on 16 September 1921 in Durgapur village, maulvibazar. He passed the Middle English Examination in 1936. After passing the Matriculation Examination in 1942, he sat for a competitive examination and became a primary school teacher. After teaching for 25 years, he resigned in 1967.

Golam Akbar had a special fascination for folk literature. After retirement he was appointed collector of folk literature by bangla academy. He toured the sylhet region and collected a large number of ballads and songs. He wrote several books on folk literature and also edited many lyrics and folk songs. Among his books are Sylhet Gitika (1968), Kholafae Rasheda ba Char Khalifar Punthi (1969), Sadhak Kavi Bhavananda (1978), Sylhet Nagari Parikrama (1978), Radharaman Sangit (1981), Lokasahitye Islam (1987) and Lokasahityer Katha (1988).

Golam Akbar went America to attend 'South and East Asian Folklore Studies Conference'; held in 1977 and delivered his speech successfully about the broadness and importance of Folk literature. He died at Maulvi Bazar on 29 December 1988. [Soaib Ahmed Gibran]