Jahanara Imam - Literary Career

Literary Career

After Bangladesh achieved independence, Jahanara Imam started her literary career. During this time she also traveled extensively to Europe, USA and Canada. In 1986 she published her wartime diary “Ekatturer Dinguli” (The days of Seventy One). Publication of this book was a seminal event in the history of Bangladesh. It proved to be a catalyst for the renewal of faith in the destiny of Bangladesh as an independent nation.

Jahanara Imam's diary, in some respect like that of Anne Frank, was a very personal account of tragedy. Her simple style of writing touched many hearts, particularly those of the families who had lost members during the war. Former freedom fighters who had felt disillusioned in the aftermath of the war called Jahanara “Shaheed Janani” (Mother of Martyrs).

In her young days, Jahanara Imam was known for her beauty and elegance. She was dubbed the Suchitra Sen of Dhaka, the famous Indian Bengali film star.

In 1981 she was diagnosed with mouth cancer, and operations caused her to have difficulty speaking, but despite her ordeal, she continued to write and continued her involvement with the Freedom Fighters. Jahanara Imam died in Detroit, USA on 26 June 1994. She was buried in Dhaka as she had wished. To show respect to Shaheed Janani, nearly quarter of a million people attended her funeral.