Born on 12 February 1943 Akhtaruzzaman Elias was much like a firework. His presence was short-lived but that took nothing away from how brightly he shone during his time. With only two novels and twenty-two short stories, he was far from being prolific. However, Khoabnama and Chilekothar Sepai, his two novels, are often mentioned with admiration amongst ardent readers.