Abu Zafar Obaidullah

• Name — Abu Zafar Obaidullah • Pronunciation — abu d͡ʒafoɾ obae̯d̪ulːaʱ • Native Name — আবু জাফর ওবায়েদুল্লাহ • Office — Minister of Agriculture • President — Hussain Muhammad Ershad • Predecessor — Fasihuddin Mahtab • Successor — Abdul Haleem Chowdhury • Term Start — 1 August 1982 • Term End — 31 May 1984 • Office1 — Minister of Water Resources • President1 — Hussain Muhammad Ershad • Predecessor1 — L. K. Siddiqi • Successor1 — M. H. Khan • Term Start1 — 11 February 1982 • Term End1 — 1 June 1984 • Office2 — 11th Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States • Prime Minister2 — Ataur Rahman Khan • President2 — Hussain Muhammad Ershad • Predecessor2 — Humayun Rashid Choudhury • Successor2 — A. H. S. Ataul Karim • Term Start2 — 8 November 1984 • Term End2 — 10 December 1984 • Birth Name — Abu Zafar Mohammad Obaidullah Khan • Born — 8 February 1934 • Died — 19 March 2001 • Alma Mater — University of Dhaka • Father — Abdul Jabbar Khan • Relatives — * Sadek Khan (brother) • Enayetullah Khan (brother) • Selima Rahman (sister) • Rashed Khan Menon (brother) • Awards — * Ekushey Padak (1985) • Bangla Academy Literary Award Abu Zafar Obaidullah (abu d͡ʒafoɾ obae̯d̪ulːaʱ; 8 February 1934 – 19 March 2001) was a Bangladeshi poet and civil servant. Two of his long poems, Aami-Kingbodontir-Kathaa Bolchi and Bristi O Shahosi Purush-er Jonyo Prarthona, have become famous since their first publication in the late 1970s.

On 8 February 1934 poet Abu Zafar Mohammad Obaidullah Khan was born in Baherchar-Kshudrakathi village under Babuganj upazila of Barisal District on 8 February 1934, in British India. He was the second son of Justice Abdul Jabbar Khan, a speaker of the Pakistan national assembly. His brothers include journalist Enayetullah Khan and politician Rashed Khan Menon. He received his primary education in Mymensingh town where his father Abdul Jabbar Khan was working as the district judge. In 1948, he passed the matriculation examination from the Mymensingh Zilla School. He passed the Intermediate in Arts examination as a student of the Dhaka College in 1950. He was then admitted into the University of Dhaka to study English and after securing B.A. (Honours) and M.A. degrees, he joined the same university in 1954 as a lecturer in the Department of English. He appeared in the Pakistan Superior Service Examinations and having stood second in the combined national merit list, he joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1957.

Obaidullah was promoted as Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh in 1976 and after retiring in 1982, he accepted the position of Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources in 1982. Later he also served as Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United States of America. In 1992, he became the Assistant Director General of FAO Regional Office in Bangkok; he retired from this position four years later.

Obaidullah actively participated in the Language Movement of 1952. He composed "Kono Ek Ma-key" ("To a Mother") for the first anthology on Ekushey, which is recited at the Central Shaheed Minar on 21 February every year.

Obaidullah founded "Padaboli" which became the leading poetry movement of Bangladesh in the 1980s. Obaidullah was one of the pioneers of the Dhaka-centric group theatre movement that originated in the 1950s. Along with Syed Maksudus Saleheen, Taufiq Aziz Khan and Bazlul Karim he established Drama Circle in 1956.

Poetry lovers of Dhaka established Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Foundation in 2002. Currently Arif Nazrul is the Foundation president (2008). Among other regular activities, this foundation gives annual awards to people they view as contributing to the national interest. Also, "Poet Abu Zafar Obaidullah Smriti Pathagar" (memorial library) was established in Babuganj of Barisal in 2003.