Shahabuddin Nagari is a Bangladeshi poet, bureaucrat, poet, and musician who has made a name for himself in the field of modern literature by using passionate poems, intellectual articles, novels, and heartfelt music to express his romantic feelings and love for his homeland. He passed the civil exams to get a government job in the customs and excise department after finishing his zoology degree. Despite this, he continued to devote time to writing and composing music. As a romantic poet, he went on to carve out a space for himself by writing each new poem in a unique style. What distinguishes his works is that he expresses his feelings openly while writing in a descriptive approach. He has written various children’s rhyme books, short stories, juvenile novels and storybooks, articles and columns, travelogues, and novels, in addition to co-editing anthologies. He has established himself as a renowned personality in Bangladesh’s cultural spheres by demonstrating his outstanding talent in singing, composing, songwriting, dialogue writing, and script writing. ‘Midnight Locomotive and Other Poems’ and ‘The Black Cat and Other Poems’ are two of his most popular poetry collections.
Childhood and Adolescence
Shahabuddin Nagari was born in Shibnagar, Chapai Nawabganj district, East Pakistan, on October 6, 1955. (now Bangladesh).
He attended many schools across Bangladesh as a result of his father’s transferable profession, eventually graduating from Rajabazar Nazneen High School in Dhaka in 1972.
In 1974, he graduated from Chittagong College with a higher secondary degree and enrolled in a zoology study at Chittagong University. In 1978, he earned a BSc (Honors) degree and enrolled in the Thesis Group’s Masters program.
He received his Masters degree with honors in 1980 after presenting his thesis on ‘Rice Field Spiders,’ making him the first entomologist to study spiders in Bangladesh.
Career of Shahabuddin Nagari
When he was little, he liked to make rhymes, which sparked his love in literature. In his writing endeavors, he was further encouraged by his uncle, Abdul Mannan.
With his first poetry, ‘Ami Kobi’ (I am a Poet), published in 1969, he began contributing frequently to Bangladeshi newspapers – ‘Mukuler Mahfil’ (The Daily Azad) and ‘Kachi Kachar Ashor’ (The Daily Ittefaq).
Apart from literature, he was also interested in music and studied classical and modern music at the Pakistan Cultural Academy in Dhaka under M.A. Hamid, Mahmudunnabi, and Mohammad Abdul Jabbar.
After returning to Chittagong after serving in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, he began his literary career by submitting his work to the weekly ‘Rajanigandha.’ He continued to study music with Ustad Syed Anwar Mufti.
He sang at various cultural gatherings while in college and was later chosen as a featured performer on Bangladesh Television in 1977.
Gradually, he moved out of Chittagong, writing for children in ‘The Daily Michhil,’ and publishing in the children’s section of all major newspapers and periodicals in Dhaka.
In 1978, he published his first collection of poems, ‘Nil Paharer Chhara,’ through ‘Muktodhara’ (The Swadhin Bangla Sahittya Parishad), one of Dhaka’s premier publishing houses at the time.
He began working as a Research Fellow on spiders at the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Professor (Dr.) Shafique Haider Chowdhury after completing his studies in 1980.
He began working as a biology instructor at Chittagong University in 1981. Following that, he took and passed the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) test.
He left his teaching career in December 1983 to join the government as an Assistant Collector of Customs and Excise, where he advanced through the ranks to numerous posts and ranks over the years.
‘Mahakaler Batighar,’ a compilation of literature essays released by Caucus Publishers in 1986, was his second book.
Dolna Prakashani’s next book of rhymes, ‘Mouly Tomar Chhara,’ was published in 1986. He hasn’t looked back since, as he has continued to publish a number of creative works year after year.
After focusing on his employment and literary career, he returned to singing in 1994 with the BTV drama ‘Keu Fere Keu Fere Na,’ and in 1996, he published his first studio album, ‘Bishonno Mon,’ with renowned composer Subal Das.
Over the next ten years, he released eleven solo albums and contributed his voice to over 200 songs, including the worldwide hit single ‘Bhalobasha Bhag Kora Jay Na’ in 2003.
Apart from two English translated poetry collections, one novel, and one travelogue, he has written 17 books of rhymes, 16 volumes of poems, 4 articles and essays, and 6 juvenile novels and short tales.
He’s also dabbled in editing, co-editing three volumes of poetry and rhyme with various authors.
He is currently employed at the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Ministry of Finance, as a Commissioner of Customs Valuation and Internal Audit Commissionerate.
Major Projects of Shahabuddin Nagari
His story, dialogues, storyline, and music direction for the 2004 film ‘Ak Khondo Jomi,’ based on his poem of the same name from his book ‘Aguner Ful Fote Thonte,’ received critical acclaim.
He is also recognized for two English-translated books: ‘Midnight Locomotive and Other Poems,’ an anthology of 86 poems highlighting Bangla culture, and ‘The Black Cat and Other Poems,’ a collection of love poems (2011).
Personal History and Legacy
In 1983, he married Dr. Aftabun Nahar Maksuda, a Chittagong Medical College and Hospital assistant surgeon.
Rehan Uddin Nagari, born in 1987, and Farhan Uddin Nagari, born in 1991, are the couple’s sons.
Shahabuddin Nagari Net Worth
Shahabuddin Nagari is one of the wealthiest poets and one of the most well-known. Shahabuddin Nagari’s net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.