Iffat Ara

Shamsun Nahar Iffat Ara (born 1939; known as Iffat Ara) is a Bangladeshi writer, social activist and literary organizer. Her literary career began in the late 1950s when she started to write short stories and publish them in the leading newspaper of the country including the Azad. Desperate to continue education, she threatened to commit suicide and was subsequently admitted to the Vidyamoyee Govt. Girls' High School of the town. But before she could complete the high school she was married to Abdul Latif Talukder, a young lawyer and politician. She then passed the matriculation examination and, later, the intermediate exam from the Muminunnesa Women's College. In 1966, she graduated from the same college and proceeded to study for B. Ed. at the Mymensingh Women's Teachers Training College. When Ananda Mohan College was upgraded to a university-college, she earned her master's in Bengali language and literature in 1973. Her unique book of knowledge for high school goers Shona achey jana nai was highly acclaimed and has gone through many editions since 1990. Her novel Sukh jakhan shesh belay was published in 2000. Currently she is working on a book of short stories for young readers.

Dwitiyo Chinta

Ara set up a press in her house and started to publish a literary monthly magazine Chinta in 1986. Later it was renamed Dwitiyo Chinta in 1988. Soon Iffat Mansion, her residence in Mymensingh town since 1960, from where she published her magazine, became a hub of literary activities. The poet Jibanananda Das birth centenary edition of the Dwitiyo Chinta, brought out in 1999, remains an example of high quality editing and planning of a commemorative issue of a magazine. Dwitiyo Chinta has published writings of many eminent writers and poets of the country in addition to regional writers.

Personal life Ara has three sons and a daughter. The daughter is an economics professor at Muminunnesa Govt. Women's College in Mymensingh.