Syed Mujtaba Ali was born on this day in 1904. He was a Bengali author, journalist, scholar, polyglot and global citizen.
He was born in Assam to a family of intellectuals. His brother Murtaza Ali also was a writer of great stature. Mujtaba Ali studied at Shantiniketan. His work in education and religious studies took him across the world.
His travel narrative Deshe Bideshe captured a snapshot of the upheavals in South Asia and it’s a good idea to read the book right now if you are interested in the goings-on in Afghanistan.
He was awarded the Narsinghadas Prize, the Ananda Puraskar and the Ekushey Padak, the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh.