Biography
Golam Mostofa or Golam Mostafa (Bengali: গোলাম মোস্তফা) was a Bangladeshi Islamic writer and poet. His role and contribution in modern Bengali poems is specially memorable; because background of his arrival period and social condition of Muslim Bengal came to our notice through his writings. Brilliance of his poems was manifested during the early period of 20th century. At that time Muslims of Bengal were extremely unfortunate. They were backward, neglected and deprived of political social and economic status. They were backward and underdeveloped in education and culture. Poet Golam Mostafa had written in background of his life and literary endeavour. "The period when I was born was the period of exhaustion of the Muslims. At that time our literature had no freedom or originality. Intellectuality, tradition, meditation, impression, hope and aspiration of any nation are implemented through their mother tongue. But no such literature was created by Muslims of Bengal at that time. So, from my younger life I was desirous to compose national literature of the Muslims."
Early Life and Education
Poet Golam Mostafa was born in village Monoharpur in Shailkupa Thana in District of Jhenaidah in 1897. As per his Matric certificate his year of birth is seen 1897 ; but, poet Golam Mostafa said that at the time of his admission in Shailkopa High School his father had curtailed his age by two years. So his actual year of birth was 1895.
Family members of poet were highly educated and thoroughly developed in Islamic tradition. There was regular culture of Arabic, Persian and Bengali language in their family. His grand-father Kazi Golam Sarwar had vast erudition in Arabic and Persian language.
Golam Mostafa had started to write poem from his school life. In 'Memory of my life' poet writes. "I clearly remember that my first awakening of poem came into existence in 1909 when I was student of class five in Shailkopa High school.
Poet Golam Mostafa passed Matriculation Examination from Shailkupa High School in 1914 and IA. from Daulatpur College Khulna in 1916. Later on he passed B. A. from Ripon College Calcutta in 1918. He was desirous for higher degree but could not continue his studies due to financial inability. However, he selected his profession as teacher. He joined as a teacher in Barackpur Govt. High School in 1920. After two years, he passed B.T. from David Hare College. As a result his service was confirmed in Govt High School.
He retired as headmaster of Faridpur Zila School in 1949. He was the secretary of the East Bengal Government's Language Reform Committee, formed in 1949. He believed in the ideals of Pakistan and, during the Language Movement in 1952, supported Urdu as the state language of Pakistan.
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