Known for referring to himself as a Satyanweshi ("truth-seeker"), Bakshi is characterized by his sharp observation, logical reasoning, and proficiency in forensic science, which he applies to solve complex murder cases, primarily set in Calcutta.
His first appearance was in the story Pother Kanta (1932),[1] where he demonstrates his deductive skills, but his formal introduction occurs in Satyanweshi (1934), a murder mystery involving cocaine trafficking.
Byomkesh later asks Ajit to live with him at his three-story rented house at Harrison Road as his assistant and chronicler.
In the beginning of the stories, Byomkesh Bakshi is described as "a man of twenty-three or twenty-four years of age who looked well educated."
Unlike other lead characters in similar detective fictional stories, Byomkesh Bakshi marries, ages, and also contemplates material things such as buying a car.
His father Mahadev Bakshi was a mathematics teacher at a school and practised Sankhya philosophy at home while his mother was the daughter of a Vaishnavite.
During the Second World War and after India's independence, Byomkesh, Satyabati and Ajit live in the mess house of Harrison Road.
Notably, in later stories such as Room Nombor Dui, Chhlonar Chhondo, Shajarur Kanta, Benisonghaar, and Lohar Biskut, Ajit is absent as he focuses on his publication business.
The stories vary widely in their depiction of crime—from complex drug networks, as in Satyanweshi, to domestic mysteries like Arthamanartham and Makorshar Rosh.
Though Bandopadhyay ceased writing Byomkesh stories between 1938 and 1951 while working in Bombay's film industry, public demand led him to resume with Chitrachor (Picture Imperfect) in 1951.