Rizia Rahman (28 December 1939 – 16 August 2019)^[1] was a Bangladeshi novelist.^[2] She had a number of novels and short stories to her credit. Her works cut across all genres. She was best known for the novel Bong Theke Bangla.^[3] She was the recipient of Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978).^[4] As of 2018, she had published more than 50 novels and short story collections during her long career.^[5]

Rizia Rahman was born on 28 December 1939 in Bhabanipur, Kolkata.^[5] Her family moved to Bangladesh, then known as East Bengal, after the 1947 Partition of India.^[5] She began writing stories at the age of 8 and was published for the first time when she was 12.^[6] Her stories and poems appeared in newspapers such as Satyajug and Sangbad.^[7] Rahman studied at the University of Dhaka and graduated with a Master of Social Sciences in Economics.^[7]

Rahman published her first collection of short stories, Agni Shakkora, while studying at the University of Dhaka.^[7] Her novel Bong Theke Bangla was published in 1978 to critical acclaim, exploring the evolution of Bangladesh's nationality and language.^[5] Her fourth novel, Rokter Okkhor, was inspired by an article called "The Prostitutes of Dhaka" which was published in Bichitra.^[8] She was unable to conduct research for the book by visiting brothels herself, relying instead on weekly reports from a male journalist to gain an understanding of a sex worker's living conditions.^[8] It created a huge stir in Bangladesh upon publication because of its frank depiction of prostitution in the country. In a 2016 translation of the book named Letters of Blood,^[7] Rahman said, "I received a lot of praise for the book, but also had to endure an equal amount of abuse."^[8]

Novels

• Uttar Purush (Posterity, 1977)
• Rokter Okkhor (Blood Words, 1978)
• Bong Theke Bangla (Bengali to Bangla, 1978)
• Alikhito Upakhyan (An Unwritten Story, 1980)
• Surja Sabuj Rakta (Sun Green Blood, 1980)
• Shhilay Shilay Agun (Stones in Fire, 1980)
• Aranyer Kache (Near the Forest, 1980)
• Dhabal Jyotsna (White Moon-light, 1980)
• Ghar-Bhanga-Ghar (Broken-house, 1984)
• Ekal Chirokal (Now and Eternity, 1984)
• Prem Amar Prem (Love, My Love, 1985)
• Jharer Mukhomukhi (Facing the Storm, 1986)
• Ekti Phuler Janya (For a Flower, 1986)
• Shudhu Tomader Janya (Only for You, 1988)
• He manab Manabi (Oh! Man and Woman, 1989)
• Harun Phereni (Harun did not Return, 1994)
• Nodi Nirobodhi (2011)

• Bangla Academy Literary Award (1978)
• Jessore Sahitya Parishad Puraskar (1984)
• Bangladesh Lekhak Sangha Sahitya Padak (1985)
• Kamar Mushtari Sahitya Padak (1990)^[12]
• Anannya Literature Award (1995)
• Humayun Kadir Sriti Puraskar
• Jasimuddin Shwarna Padak
• Shawgat Shwarna Padak
• Ekushey Padak (2019)^[13]

Rahman died on 16 August 2019.^[14][15][16]