Writer Somen Chanda

Abul Hasnat :
Somen Chanda (1920-1942) was a political activist and writer. His full name was Somendra Kumar Chanda. He was born in Baliya village of Narsingdi on 24 May, 1920. He passed the Entrance examination in 1936 from Pogose School, Dhaka. He was admitted to Dhaka Mitford Medical School. But he had to discontinue his studies because of ill health. Later, he joined the Progoti Lekhok Songho and became involved in Marxist politics and literary activism.
Somen Chanda’s political and literary careers were intertwined. Politically committed, he wrote stories describing the struggle of the general people and he meant to raise public awareness about their disadvantaged situation. Most of Somen Chanda’s writings were presented at the weekly and fortnightly meetings of the Progressive Writers’ Association. His story Bonospoti was published in Kranti (1940). Songket O Onyanyo Golpo (1943) and Bonospoti O Onyanyo Golpo (1944) were published from Dhaka and Kolkata after his death. Ranesh Dasgupta edited and published Somen Chander Golpogucchho (The Collected Writings of Somen Chanda) in 1973. His story, Indur (The Rat), has been translated into several foreign languages.
He was killed on 8 March in 1942 while participating in a procession organised by the Soviet Friendship Society. n