Abu Zafar Obaidullah (8 February 1934 – 19 March 2001) was a notable Bangladeshi poet and civil servant whose works left a profound impact on modern Bengali literature and the cultural landscape of Bangladesh. Born in Baherchar-Kshudrakathi village in the Barisal district, he was the son of Justice Abdul Jabbar Khan, a prominent political figure who served as speaker of the Pakistan national assembly. Obaidullah received his early education in Mymensingh and later studied English at Dhaka University, excelling to become a lecturer of English before joining the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1957.
Throughout his administrative career, Obaidullah rose to the position of Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh and subsequently served as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources as well as Ambassador to the United States. After retiring, he contributed internationally as the Assistant Director General of FAO’s regional office in Bangkok.
Obaidullah was deeply involved in the Language Movement of 1952, which asserted the recognition of Bengali as an official language in then Pakistan; his poem “Kono Ek Ma-key” remains a celebrated tribute recited annually at the central Shaheed Minar on International Mother Language Day. He was also the founder of “Padaboli,” an important poetry movement in the 1980s that reinvigorated Bengali poetic expression. Besides poetry, he played a foundational role in the Dhaka-centric group theatre movement in the 1950s.
His literary works include popular long poems like Aami-Kingbodontir-Kathaa Bolchi and Bristi O Shahosi Purush-er Jonyo Prarthona. Over his lifetime, he received several accolades, most notably the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1979 and the Ekushey Padak in 1985, underscoring his outstanding contributions to Bengali literature and culture. After his death in 2001, the Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Foundation was established to honor his legacy, supporting literary and cultural activities in Bangladesh.