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{{Short description|Bangladeshi poet and activist (1911–1999)}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Begum Sufia Kamal
| native_name = সুফিয়া কামাল
| native_name_lang = bn
| image = Sufia Kamal.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| birth_name = Syeda Sufia Begum
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1911|06|20}}<ref>{{cite web | title = Google celebrates Sufia Kamal's 108th birthday with Doodle | url = https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/news/197621/Google-celebrates-Sufia-Kamal%E2%80%99s-108th-birthday | website = prothomalo.com | accessdate = 20 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Google Doodle celebrates 108th birth anniversary of poet Sufia Kamal | url = https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/people/2019/06/20/google-doodle-celebrates-108th-anniversary-of-poet-sufia-kamal-s-birth | website = dhakatribune.com | accessdate = 20 June 2019 | date = 20 June 2022}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Barisal Sadar Upazila|Shayestabad]], [[Backergunge District]], [[Eastern Bengal and Assam]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1999|11|20|1911|6|20}}
| death_place = [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh
| occupation = poet, writer
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Syed Nehal Hossain|1922|1932|end=d}}
* {{marriage|Kamaluddin Ahmed|1937|1977|end=d}}
}}
| children = [[Sultana Kamal]] (daughter)
| awards = [[#Awards|full list]]

}}
'''Begum Sufia Kamal''' (20 June 1911 – 20 November 1999) was a Bangladeshi poet, feminist leader, and political activist.<ref name=bpedia>{{cite book | last = Kabir | first = Ahmad | year = 2012 | chapter = Kamal, Begum Sufia |chapter-url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Kamal,_Begum_Sufia |editor1-last=Islam |editor1-first=Sirajul |editor1-link=Sirajul Islam |editor2-last=Jamal |editor2-first=Ahmed A. | title = Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh | edition = Second | publisher = [[Asiatic Society of Bangladesh]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Khan |first=Nahaly Nafisa |date=2021-06-20 |title=Feminism, activism, and literature: The legacy of Sufia Kamal |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/arts-entertainment/news/feminism-activism-and-literature-the-legacy-sufia-kamal-2114669 |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=The Daily Star |language=en}}</ref> She took part in the Bengali nationalist movement of the 1950s and civil society leader in independent Bangladesh. She led feminist activism and was a president of [[Bangladesh Mahila Parishad]]. She died in 1999 and was the first woman to be given a state funeral in Bangladesh.<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/28/nyregion/sufia-kamal-poet-and-advocate-dies-at-88.html | title = Sufia Kamal, Poet and Advocate, Dies at 88 | author = Douglas Martin | date = 28 November 1999 | newspaper = The New York Times|access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Begum Sufia Kamal, as I knew her | url = https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/tribute/news/begum-sufia-kamalas-i-knew-her-1759429 | website = thedailystar.net | accessdate = 20 June 2022}}</ref>

==Early life and family==
[[File:Kamaluddin Ahmed Sufia Kamal.jpg|thumb|Sufia Kamal with her husband Kamaludddin Ahmed (1939)]]
Syeda Sufia Begum was born on 20 June 1911, in her maternal home Rahat Manzil in [[Barisal Sadar Upazila|Shayestabad]], located in the [[Backergunge District]] of [[Eastern Bengal and Assam]]. Her paternal family were the ''[[zamindars]]'' of Shilaur in [[Brahmanbaria District|Brahmanbaria]], and they claimed descent from [[Ali]], the fourth [[Caliph]] of [[Islam]]. Whilst she was seven months old, her father Syed Abdul Bari left his job as a lawyer and became a [[Sufi]] ascetic, never returning home.<ref name="ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়ার সাহিত্য">{{cite news | title = ব্রাহ্মণবাড়িয়ার সাহিত্য | url = https://www.jugantor.com/todays-paper/literature-magazine/455896/%E0%A6%AC%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%A3%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9C%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF?fbclid=IwAR38b-lHjwRlLCqD33dL2-GnLf5aX4ps6RvfxLCAxtRz1lkiiYIbKGTjWzg | newspaper = [[Jugantor]] | date = August 2021|access-date=20 August 2021|language=bn}}</ref> She was raised by her mother, Sabera Begum, the youngest daughter of [[Nawab]] Mir Muazzam Hussain, in Shayestabad.<ref>{{cite book|title=বরিশাল বিভাগের ইতিহাস|language=bn|year=2010|author=Ahmed, Siraj Uddin|volume=1|publisher=Bhaskar Prakashani|location=[[Dhaka]]|chapter=শায়েস্তাবাদের জমিদার পরিবার|trans-chapter=The zamindar family of Shayestabad|trans-title=History of the Barisal Division}}</ref>

==Education==
Her education began at the local ''[[kuttab|maktab]]'', where she learnt [[Arabic]]. As she grew older, she switched to home education as per the cultural norms. Her mother, Sabera Begum, taught her how to read and write in Bengali. Through home education at the Shayestabad zamindar estates, she gained proficiency in Bengali, Arabic, and [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]. In 1918, she went to [[Kolkata]] with her mother where she came to meet with [[Begum Rokeya]].<ref name="Prothom Alo, 20 November 2006">[[Prothom Alo]], 20 November 2006</ref>

==Literary career==
A short story ''Shainik Badhu ''which Sufia wrote was published in a local paper in 1923.<ref name="Prothom Alo, 20 November 2006" /> In 1925, Sufia met [[Mahatma Gandhi]], which inspired her to wear simple clothing.<ref name=bpedia/> Her first poem, ''Bashanti'' (''Of Spring''), was published in ''[[Saogat]]'' magazine in 1926. In 1931 she became the first Bengali Muslim female to be a member of the ''Indian Women Federation''.<ref name="Prothom Alo, 20 November 2006"/> In 1937, she published her first collection of short stories, ''Keyar Kanta (Thorns of the Keya Tree)''. Her literary career took off after her first poetry publication. Her first book of poems, ''Sanjher Maya (Evening Enchantment)'', came out in 1938, bearing a foreword from [[Kazi Nazrul Islam]] and attracting praise from [[Rabindranath Tagore]].<ref>{{cite web | title = সাহিত্যে কবি সুফিয়া কামাল | url = https://www.dailysangram.com/post/354923-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B9%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%AC%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%AE%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B2 | website = dailysangram.com | accessdate = 20 June 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
At the age of eleven years, Sufia was married to her maternal cousin Syed Nehal Hossain, a law student and the son of Mir Motahar Hussain of Shayestabad. Hossain died in 1932, leaving behind a daughter, Amena Quahhar. Five years later, Sufia married Kamaluddin Ahmed and subsequently moved to [[Barisal]] town.<ref name=nytimes/><ref>{{Cite news | url = https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/tribute/kamaludddin-ahmed-khan-keen-unconventional-relevant-1573831 | title = Kamaludddin Ahmed Khan: Keen, unconventional, relevant | date = 10 May 2018 | newspaper = The Daily Star | language = en|access-date=8 December 2022}}</ref> Kamal later had two other daughters, [[Sultana Kamal]] and Saeeda Kamal, and three sons Shahed Kamal, Shoeb Kamal (who went missing in 1971) and Sajed Kamal.

==Activism==
In 1947, Kamal became the inaugural editor of the [[Begum (magazine)|''Begum'']] weekly magazine specialized on women's issues which was published by [[Mohammad Nasiruddin]]. In October of that year after the [[partition of India]] she came to [[Dhaka]]. During a huge clash between [[Hindu]] and [[Muslim]] of that time Kamal worked for their friendship and joined in Peace Committee. In 1948, when ''Purbo Pakistan Mohila Committee'' formed, she became its chairman.<ref name="Prothom Alo, 20 November 2006"/> Kamal's activism continued in 1952, with the [[Bengali language movement|Language Movement]]. In 1961, when the Pakistani government banned [[Rabindra Sangeet]] (Songs of Rabindranath), she became involved in the movement among Bengalis that ensued in 1961. During the mass uprising in 1969, which demanded the resignation of Pakistani military general [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]], she promoted the cause by forming ''Mohila Sangram Parishad'' (''Women's Struggle Group'').

In later life, she made women's rights her top priority and headed Bangladesh's largest women's organisation, Mahila Parishad, for many years. She did not see the oppression of women as mainly a class issue. She was also the first Chairperson of BRAC (1972–1980).

Kamal was instrumental in getting the first women's dormitory of [[Dhaka University]] to be named ''Rokeya Hall'', after Begum Rokeya.

==Role in liberation war==
Kamal showed her bravery several times. Once Ayub Khan at a meeting with social elites of Dhaka, commented that ordinary people are like beasts and as such, not fit to be given franchise. Sufia Kamal at once stood up and remarked, "If the people are beasts then as the President of the Republic, you are the king of the beasts."<ref name=HoqueSufia>{{cite news | last = Hoque | first = Mofidul | title = Sufia Kamal : Her Journey Towards Freedom | url = http://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2012/July/sufia.htm | newspaper = The Daily Star | date = July 2012|access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref>

When the news of the 'killings' of Kamal and Dr Nilima Ibrahim by Pak Army after the crack down on 25 March 1971 was broadcast on Akashbani, a radio station of the Indian state West Bengal, it drew criticism internationally and countries across the world put diplomatic pressure on the then Pakistani military government for clarification. The Pakistani government was forced to broadcast an interview with the poet on radio only to prove that Sufia Kamal was still alive.<ref name=HussainDailyStar>{{cite news | last = Hussain | first = Akbar | title = I would rather die than sign any false statement | url = http://archive.thedailystar.net/suppliments/2004/victory_day/vic02.htm | newspaper = The Daily Star | date = 16 December 2004|access-date=2 January 2022}}</ref>

Zillur Rahman, the then regional director of Radio East Pakistan, forwarded a paper to Kamal to sign with the statement "In 1971 no massacre took place in Bangladesh." When she refused, Rahman threatened, "If you don't give your signature then it might create a problem both for you and your son-in-law Abdul Quahhar Chowdhury." She told him that she didn't care for her life. She said, "I would rather die than put my signature on the false statement."<ref name=HussainDailyStar/>

She actively but secretly helped freedom fighters of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|Liberation War]]. In 1971, several people in Dhaka including professor [[Ghyasuddin Ahmed]] and writer [[Shahidullah Kaiser]] collected medicine and food and delivered those to the posts of Sufia Kamal's house, from where the freedom fighters picked those up for their training outpost.<ref name=AkhtarTribute>{{cite news | last = Akhtar | first = Shameem | title = A tribute to our martyred intellectuals | url = http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/a-tribute-to-our-martyred-intellectuals/ | newspaper = The Daily Star | date = 14 December 2013|access-date=31 December 2022}}</ref> From July 1971, she used to go to the hospital with food and medicine for the injured people of war. At that time there was an acute crisis of food and medicine in the hospital. She used to give food and medicine to certain rickshaw pullers at the Science Laboratory, Dhaka. They would take the food and medicine to the freedom fighters. She was able to establish closer contact with the freedom fighters such as [[Abul Barak|Abul Barak Alvi]], [[Shafi Imam Rumi]], [[Masud Sadek Chullu]] and Jewel in August. As the Pakistani army kept their strong watch on her, she would try to help the freedom fighters in different ways ignoring the risks. Except Abul Barak Alvi, all others died in the hand of the Pakistani Army.<ref name=HussainDailyStar/> The Pakistan Army and their collaborators killed Sufia Kamal's son-in-law, Kahar Chowdhury, because they were very angry with her. Early December 1971 Shahidullah Kaiser, [[Munier Chowdhury]] and [[Mohammed Fazle Rabbee|Fazle Rabbi]] cautioned her to leave Dhaka but they themselves did not leave and got caught and later got killed.<ref name=HussainDailyStar/>
<ref>{{cite web | url = https://archive.thedailystar.net/forum/2012/July/sufia.htm| title = Her Journey Towards Freedom | date = 7 July 2012 | website = The Daily Star | language = en|access-date=18 January 2022}}</ref>

==Awards==
* [[Bangla Academy Literary Award]] for Literature (1962)
* [[Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"|Lenin Centenary Jubilee Medal]] (1970) from the [[Soviet Union]]
* [[Ekushey Padak]] (1976)
* Czechoslovakia Medal (1986)
* Jatyo Kabita Parishad Award (1995)
* [[Begum Rokeya Padak]] (1996)
* [[Deshbandhu]] CR Das Gold Medal (1996)
* [[Independence day award#1997|Independence Day Award]] (1997)

==Works==
*''Mrittikar Ghran (The Fragrance of Earth)''
*''Ekatturer Diary (Diary of '71)''
*''Benibinyas Samay To Ar Nei (No More Time for Braiding Your Hair)''
*''Ekale Amader Kal (In This Time, Our Time)''

== Recognition ==
The National Public Library in [[Dhaka]] is named the [[Sufia Kamal National Public Library (Dhaka)|Sufia Kamal National Public Library]] in her honour.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-122986 | title = Central Public Library renamed | date = 22 January 2010 | website = The Daily Star | language = en|access-date=28 December 2022}}</ref> On June 20, 2019, [[Google]] celebrated her 108th birthday with a [[Google Doodle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/doodles/sufia-kamals-108th-birthday|title=Sufia Kamal's 108th Birthday|website=Google|date=20 June 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline}}

{{Feminism}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamal, Sufia}}
[[Category:1911 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Brahmanbaria district]]
[[Category:People from Barisal]]
[[Category:20th-century women writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengali poets]]
[[Category:20th-century Bangladeshi poets]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi women writers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi writers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi women poets]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi feminists]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi feminist writers]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi people of Arab descent]]
[[Category:Bengali female poets]]
[[Category:Bengali activists]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Ekushey Padak]]
[[Category:Recipients of Begum Rokeya Padak]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Independence Day Award]]
[[Category:Recipients of Bangla Academy Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Bengalis]]
[[Category:Indian feminist writers]]

Sufia Kamal - Revision history

27.147.195.222: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

27.147.195.222: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.