Humayun Ahmed: A Literary Phenomenon's Enduring Appeal and Cultural Roots

July 19th marked the anniversary of Humayun Ahmed's passing, a decade after which his readership's fascination, debate, and wonder remain undimmed. The author explores why Ahmed became a unique literary 'phenomenon' in Bengali literature, examining the social, linguistic, and cultural foundations of his popularity through personal experience and observation.

The author recounts being frequently asked about his opinions on Ahmed's work and the reasons for his widespread appeal. He admits to a lifelong detachment from Ahmed's writing, having witnessed his rise from the 1980s. While his peers were captivated, the author's differing tastes meant he never deeply engaged with Ahmed's literature. Ahmed's writing, however, is credited with authentically capturing the distinct language and culture of East Bengal, a stark contrast to the Kolkata-centric, refined Bengali prose that dominated modern Bengali literature. This 'Ghoti' Bengali, originating from the Bhagirathi riverbanks, was never fully embraced by the people of East Bengal.

Despite his personal reservations, the author acknowledges Ahmed's almost divine ability to captivate audiences, particularly through his early television dramas in the pre-internet, single-channel era of Dhaka. These dramas, alongside his novels, brought a sense of vibrancy to the youth. The author recalls a memorable instance in the late 1980s, standing with friends in a bookstore to read Ahmed's novella 'Brihannala', much to the amusement of the owner and a visiting renowned author. He also recalls being deeply moved by an earlier story, 'Eka Eka', in a literary magazine.

Later, in the United States, the author met Ahmed personally but remained uninterested in his writing, being a devoted fan of another author, Zafar Iqbal. His admiration for Iqbal stemmed from a childhood acquaintance, as Iqbal was a classmate and roommate of the author's uncle. The author was among the first readers of Iqbal's early works. Ahmed, aware of this, once playfully referred to the author as 'one of Zafar's people' during a social gathering. Over the next two to three decades, while living in the US, the author read about a dozen of Ahmed's books in one sitting, finding them to be a collection of his best or selected novels. This experience, in 1993, was his last engagement with Ahmed's work, leading him to refrain from offering a full evaluation, though he felt he understood the reasons for Ahmed's popularity based on what he read and observed of his influence on others.

The author notes the intense, often acrimonious, debates between staunch supporters and detractors of Humayun Ahmed. He critiques the argument that middle-ground critics, who tried to defend Ahmed by acknowledging his role as a popular writer, presented a flawed and ahistorical perspective. He points out that many other highly popular writers, both before and during Ahmed's time, also had dedicated fan bases, citing examples from both West Bengal and Bangladesh. He questions whether Ahmed's vast readership engages with literature beyond his own works, casting doubt on his role in cultivating broader reading habits. The author posits that while Ahmed's writing captured the linguistic and cultural nuances of East Bengal, his characters were often one-dimensional 'flat characters' lacking depth, serving as idealized archetypes rather than complex individuals. This, coupled with the failure of post-1971 Bangladeshi writers to fully develop a distinct literary language separate from Kolkata's influence, created a psychological divide in Bangladeshi readers. They desired literary reflections of their own lives and language but were often presented with idealized, detached narratives, leading to a disconnect from the sophisticated, yet foreign, literary landscape.