Sukumar Barua

Sukumar Barua (5 January 1938 – 2 January 2026) was a Bangladeshi poet. While working in various positions at the University of Dhaka, Barua wrote critically acclaimed children's rhymes and literature. His works were mostly humorous in nature, with some carrying a political edge. For his works, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak by the government of Bangladesh in 2017.

Early life Sukumar Barua was born on 5 January 1938 to Sarbananda and Kiran Bala Barua in the village of Madhyam Binajuri in Raozan. His father disappeared when Barua was young. Soon after at the age of 6, his family abandoned their home to avoid the conflicts of World War II. He was taught by his maternal uncle up until the first grade, where he shortly transferred to the Dabua School before leaving education all together. While his education stopped, Barua continued to read books. His first poem was published in the newspaper in 1968. Two years later, his first book Pagla Ghora was released. After these releases, Barua was encouraged by family and friends to quit his job to focus on his literature studies, but he refused as the pay from his job in Dhaka was too much to let go of. After suffering from a medical episode and being discharged from the hospital, he died on 2 January 2026, at the age of 87.

Awards Janakantha Pratibha Sammanana (1998) Shabdapat Medal (2006) Kabir Chowdhury Shishu Sahitya Puraskar (2010) Agrani Bank – Bangladesh Shishu Academy Shishu Sahitya Puraskar (2013) Ekushey Padak (2017)