We need a Humayun in the age of internet

We spend hours scrolling through our phones, but how many of us spend even 30 minutes reading a book? In today’s internet-driven world, perhaps we need a writer like Humayun Ahmed more than ever.

He had a rare ability to make people fall in love with books through simple words and unforgettable stories.

In such a time, a writer like Humayun Ahmed feels more necessary than ever.

Born on November 13, 1948, Humayun Ahmed was more than a novelist, dramatist and filmmaker. He was a remarkable reader-maker. He could make people who had little interest in books pick up a novel, finish it in one sitting and return to bookstores looking for another.

That was perhaps his greatest achievement.
He made reading feel effortless
Humayun Ahmed did not need complicated sentences or elaborate vocabulary to hold his readers’ attention. His language was simple, conversational and remarkably close to everyday Bengali.

His stories moved naturally, his dialogues felt familiar, and his characters often resembled people we knew in our families, neighbourhoods and everyday lives.

For many readers, particularly young people, his books were an entry point into Bengali literature.
Someone who had never developed a reading habit could easily begin with a Humayun Ahmed novel. The pages did not feel intimidating.

The stories were engaging, the chapters were approachable, and the curiosity to discover what happened next kept readers turning pages. He made reading less of an academic exercise and more of a personal pleasure.

His characters became part of our lives
Himu, Misir Ali and Shuvro were not merely fictional characters. They became familiar companions for generations of readers.

Himu’s unconventional outlook, Misir Ali’s analytical mind and Shuvro’s distinctive way of seeing the world offered readers different ways to understand human behaviour and society.

Humayun Ahmed also had an extraordinary ability to find stories in ordinary lives. Family relationships, middle-class struggles, love, loneliness, humour, social contradictions and the small disappointments of everyday existence frequently became the heart of his fiction.

Readers did not always need extraordinary adventures to enjoy his stories. Sometimes, an ordinary conversation or an unexpected turn in a familiar household was enough.

Why his absence matters today
The internet has changed how we consume stories. We can watch thousands of videos and read millions of posts without committing ourselves to a single book.

Digital platforms have made information more accessible, but accessibility alone does not create a reading culture. Reading requires attention, curiosity, imagination and patience.

Humayun Ahmed understood how to develop the first step: curiosity.

He could make a reader fall in love with a story before that person even realised they were developing a reading habit. Once someone discovered the pleasure of finishing a novel, the possibility of exploring other writers and genres became greater.

This is why his contribution should not be measured only by the number of books he wrote or the popularity he enjoyed at the Ekushey Book Fair. His influence also lives in the reading habits he helped create.

He wrote more than 200 books, but perhaps the more important number is the countless people who discovered Bengali books through his writing.

We need more gateways to reading
Remembering Humayun Ahmed should not mean suggesting that readers should read only his books. Bengali literature has a rich tradition and many remarkable writers whose works deserve attention.

Rather, his legacy offers an important lesson: people do not necessarily become readers through difficult books or literary lectures. Sometimes, they need one engaging story, one memorable character and one writer who speaks their language.

Humayun Ahmed provided that starting point for millions.

On his 78th birth anniversary, the question is not simply how much we miss him. It is whether we are doing enough to encourage the next generation to read.

Perhaps, in this age of endless scrolling, every young person should experience the pleasure of reading at least one Humayun Ahmed novel. Not because everyone must like the same writer, but because his stories could open a door to a world that many might otherwise never discover.

We have enough content competing for our attention. What we need is more storytelling that makes us want to slow down, turn a page and read another.

And that is where Humayun Ahmed is still deeply relevant.