Noted poet, journalist and editor, Sikandar Abu Zafar was born on March 19 at Tentulia, under Satkhira district in 1919. He was the editor of the monthly literary magazine Samakal.
March 19 marked the 95th birth anniversary of Zafar.
Zafar passed Entrance examination (1936) from Tala B Dey Institute, Satkhira and received his IA degree from Ripon College, Kolkata. He moved to Dhaka from Kolkata in 1950 and worked as a journalist for the dailies -- Nabajug, Ittefaq, Sangbad and Millat. He founded and edited (1959-1970) a monthly magazine called Samakal. He also set up a printing press called Samakal Mudrayan and a publishing house named Samakal Prakashani in 1958.
Zafar was a true patriot and his bold spirit was fully reflected in some of his ground-breaking poems. He was also one of the pioneering figures of the cultural movement that propagated Bengali nationalism in East Pakistan in the 1960s. During the Liberation War in 1971, he composed songs of patriotic and revolutionary nature. His “Amader Sangram Cholbei,” in particular, motivated people throughout the war.  
Zafar's noted literary works include plays “Siraj-ud-Daulah” (1965), “Mohakobi Alaol” (1966); a collection of poems “Prashanna Prahar” (1965), “Timirantik” (1965), “Bangla Chharo” (1971) and many more. The poet received the Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak posthumously, in recognition to his contribution to Bangla literature.