Today marks the 123rd birth anniversary of renowned litterateur, journalist and politician Abul Mansur Ahmad. He was born in Dhanikhola village of Mymensingh on this day in 1898.

He is one of the leading satirical writers of Bangla literature and had an illustrious career as a journalist and a politician.

In 1946, he was the founding editor of The Daily Ittehad [in Kolkata]. He earlier worked at daily newspapers Krishak and Navajug and many other periodicals.

He was a pioneer of modern and progressive journalism.

An immensely successful politician, Ahmad was the provincial education minister of Sher-e-Bangla

AK Falzul Haq's United Front government, and in 1957, served as the commerce and industries minister of the central government led by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy. His contribution to the development of East Bengal is undeniable.

Among his famous satirical novels, "Aina", "Asmani Parda", "Gulliverer Safarnama" and "Food Conference" are notable.

Two of his autobiographies are "Atma Katha" and "Amar Dekha Rajnitir Panchash Bachhar", which while bringing out his own personal struggles, depict the historical and social challenges faced by the common people of that period.

His role in the initial days of Pakistan was extremely important in highlighting issues of the economic and cultural rights of the people of East Pakistan. He was one of the earliest proponents of Bangla being the national language of the country.

He wrote extensively about the issues of national language since the beginning of the '40s and also contributed actively to the Language Movement as the editor of Ittehad.

Abul Mansur Ahmad was the author of the famous 21-point manifesto for the United Front in the 1954 election, which saw the demise of Muslim League from power and from the politics of East Pakistan. The manifesto was a historic document that first portrayed the political, economic, and cultural aspirations of the suppressed Bengalis.

As a result of his political activities in the late '50s and early '60s, Abul Mansur Ahmad was jailed several times by the military administration of Ayub Khan.

Bangla Academy has published three volumes of Abul Mansur Ahmad's collected works. Prothoma published a collection of memorial books on the renowned personality, while Star Books published "Abul Mansur Ahmader Shreshtho Golpo".

On the occasion of his birthday, Abul Mansur Ahmad Smriti Parishad has organised a discussion titled "Originality of Abul Mansur Ahmad's thoughts". The names of the winners of an essay competition will also be announced from the virtual event to be held at 8pm today.

Mohammad Nurul Huda, a renowned poet and novelist and Bangla Academy director general, will be the chief guest at the programme that will be attended by Rajshahi University Prof Dr Md Abul Kashem, Kolkata University Associate Prof Rafiqul Hasan, journalist and researcher Kazal Rashid Shaheen and essayist and researcher Qudrat-E-Huda.

Rabindra University former vice chancellor Prof Bishwajit Ghosh will preside over the discussion.