Abney Golam Samad, a man with the gift of immense diversified knowledge and expertise, was a venerable personality. He was a veteran Academician, Anthropologist, Historian, Author, Reviewer, and an Influential Analyst on contemporary politics simultaneously. He was born in 1929, Rajshahi during the British colony. Through his life span he witnessed the British Raj, united Pakistan’s days, and eventually breathed his last as a free civilian in independent Bangladesh. He was born to Mohammad Yeasin Ali and Nasirun-Nesa. His father was a passionate writer and a Railway Master by profession in Bogra railway station. Among his siblings, his most well-known sister Doulatun-nesa happened to be a famous political leader, writer, and right-wing activist. She was an MLA of East Pakistan in 1954, probably the only woman elected. She was an active participant of Gandhi’s movement which resulted in her imprisonment. She took part in the protest as per Mahatma Gandhi’s calling as a part of ‘Lobon Satyagraha’. Dr. Samad asserted that his sister’s political involvements and alliances helped him  to come in touch with phenomenal leaders such as, AK Fazlul Haque, Hossain Shaheed Sohrawardy, Maulana Bhashani, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and so forth. He then took part in the election processions of his own sister at a young age with these mentioned leaders. Later, at an early age prof. Samad happened to participate in his sister’s election campaigns along with those phenomenal political personalities.

Although he started his educational life in Rajshahi Collegiate school, he passed his School Leaving Certificate (equivalent to Secondary School Certificate ) from the Bishnupur Shiksha Shangha,24 pargana, West Bengal in 1948. Later, he passed his Higher Secondary in 1949 from Rajshahi College and completed his undergrad from Tejgaon Agriculture Institute, now known as Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University. After his graduation from Tejgaon Agriculture Institute, he enrolled to Leeds University and persuaded his Post-Graduate Diploma in Plant Pathology. Completing his post- grad he focused on his Ph.D . He conducted his thesis on plant viruses which he earned from the University of Poitiers,France.  After 4 years of reside in France, in 1963 he concluded his thesis on Plant Viruses and achieved Ph.D. The thesis was published in French language. After Spending a long time overseas, he flew back to home in 1965 and started his career as a lecturer of Plant Science, University of Rajshahi.

Abney Golam Samad is considered to be a freedom fighter but he rarely endorsed it in public. However, Dr. Samad had been affiliated with political leaders since he was very young.  During the pre-liberation war period, in the movement against General Ayub in 1969 he witnessed the martyrdom of his colleague Dr. Zoha. In 1971, Samad sided himself to reach Kolkata to take part in the Liberation War. He became a part of ‘Joy Bangla’ publication which was a foremost voice of freedom of Bangladesh. He there, worked as a news-writer  with the likes of former president Zillur Rahman, Abdul Gaffar Chy, Abdur Latif Siddiqui, Asad Chowdhuri, and many more. There, prof. Samad came in touch with well -known authors like Zahir Rayhan, Ahmad Sofa. He even arranged accommodation for Zahir Raihan while staying there in his exile. He had always been very concerned and raised his voice after Zahir Rayhan went missing in 1972. Samad was never tired of participating the movements against the tyrants even after the independence of Bangladesh. He took part in Maulana Bhashani’s most fierceful Long March in 1976. He met Sheikh Mujib in various informal programs in Rajshahi.

After educating for 30 illustrating years he put an end to his professional life and retired from Rajshahi University in 1996.But dr. Samad never stopped writing. He tried to satisfy the appetite of his readers even on his deathbed. In addition to writing, he constantly attended seminars on various platforms and delivered speeches. As a writer, dr. Samad has always considered himself as a ‘general physician’ who could give medicine for most of the diseases but was not a specialist. He used to compare himself with a mason; as he could not bring out anything new but could create something if he would get the essential materials.

He wrote numerous articles on Sikandar Abu Jafar’s influential magazine ‘Samakal. His penmanship is well-rounded with more than 20 books on Science, Anthropology, and History of Art & Culture. He contributed various opinion pieces on several edited books and kept writing on a number of dailies till his death.

He breathed his last on 15th August 2021 leaving behind  all his eventful legacies. Stayed in his beloved Nasiran Villa till death came knocking. He suffered from many diseases like cardiac issues and Covid-19. Even after improving from Covid-19, his body eventually gave up and left all his well-wishers for good.