Eminent Urdu scholar, poet and critic Prof. Zahidul Haque today assumed charge as the Director of the historic and nationally significant Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, Patna.
Born on 26 June 1977 in Bihar’s Araria district, Prof. Haque received his early education in his native region. He later completed his graduation from Aligarh Muslim University and went on to earn his M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Urdu from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. During his doctoral research, he was awarded both the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Prof. Haque is widely regarded as a distinguished scholar of the classical Urdu poetic tradition and an accomplished researcher. His contributions to literary criticism, comparative studies and the social dimensions of literature have earned him considerable recognition in academic circles. He is also a noted and sensitive poet whose ghazals have appeared in numerous prestigious literary journals, magazines and newspapers in India and abroad. Over the years, he has participated in several national and international mushairas, winning appreciation from audiences and literary enthusiasts alike through his poetic recitations.
He has authored four significant books: Inamullah Khan Yaqeen: Ahad aur Shayari, Bisat-e-Naqd, Beg Ehsas: Fikr, Fan aur Shakhsiyat, and Pas-e-Arz-e-Hunar. In addition, more than thirty of his research papers, reviews and translations have been published in reputed national and international academic journals.
With over a decade of experience in teaching and research, Prof. Haque has previously been associated with the University of Delhi and the University of Calcutta. He is currently serving as Professor in the Department of Urdu at the University of Hyderabad, where he has remained actively engaged in academic and literary pursuits.
In recognition of his scholarly contributions, he has been honoured with the prestigious Imdad Imam Asar Research Award by the Bihar Urdu Academy, Government of Bihar.
The appointment of Prof. Zahidul Haque has been warmly welcomed by the literary, academic and intellectual community. Scholars, writers and researchers have expressed confidence that under his leadership, the Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library will attain new heights in the promotion of research, knowledge, culture, and the preservation and enrichment of intellectual heritage.
