Poet Daud Haider, renowned for his work “Jonmoi Amar Ajonmo Paap,” has passed away.
He died at a retirement home in Berlin, Germany, on Saturday night at the age of 73. His niece, Shawonti Haider, an associate professor at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, confirmed the news to bdnews24.com, stating, “Uncle died at 9:20 pm local time. We will provide further details later.”
Daud, who left Bangladesh in 1974, spent several years in Kolkata before moving to Germany in 1987, where he had lived since.
A lifelong bachelor, Daud had been dealing with various health issues. In December of the previous year, he suffered a fall at his Berlin home, hitting his head. He was admitted to the ICU at that time but, after treatment, returned home and was unable to resume his normal routine.
Daud was born on February 21, 1952, in Pabna. He was a poet, writer, and journalist. His poem “Kalo Shurjer Kalo Jyosnai Kalo Bonnyai Kalo” was published in Dainik Sangbad on February 24, 1974. He was subsequently accused of “hurting religious sentiment,” leading to a public protest and his arrest by the police on March 11 of that year.
Although he was released on May 20, 1974, the government failed to provide him with security, prompting him to flee to Kolkata the following day. He left almost empty-handed, taking only Tk 0.60, two poetry books, a pair of shirts, pants, slippers, and a toothbrush.
In his writing, he stated, “I had no options. The extremists would have killed me. Maybe the government wanted me dead as well.”
