Shahidul Zahir

Shahidul Zahir was born on 11 September 1953, at 36 Bhuter Goli (Bhojo Hari Shaha Street) of Narinda in the old part of Dhaka city. He was a Bangladeshi novelist, short story writer, and government bureaucrat.

He started his school at Silverdale KG School at the then 36 Rankin Street in Dhaka. Later he went to schools in Dhaka, Fulbaria, and Satkania, Chittagong. From Satkania Model High School he passed his SSC examination. He studied Political Science at Dhaka University for his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He also went to the American University in Washington, D.C., and Birmingham University.

He is known for his unique practice of magical realism in modern Bengali literature. His novels and short stories are highly acclaimed for their originality of language and narrative technique. He received the Alaol Literary Award and the Kagoz Literary Award in 2004 for his contribution to literature during his lifetime.