Rafiq Azad (born Rafiqul Islam Khan; February 14, 1941 – March 12, 2016) was a Bangladeshi poet, editor and writer.

He is credited with 45 collections of poetry including Prakriti O Premer Kabita, Asambhaber Paye, Sahasra Sundar, Haturir Nichae Jiban, Khub Beshi Durea Noy, Khamakaro Bahaman Hey Udar Amiyo Batas and others.

Azad was born on February 14, 1941, in the remote village of Guni in Tangail district, a central region of Bangladesh.

[citation needed] Azad was widely regarded as one of the most prolific young poets in the post-Liberation War period.

It was an angry poem about a starving man lashing out in impotent rage- “Bhat De Haramzada, Noile Manchitro Khabo” (“give me food, bastard!

The Sheikh Mujib administration found the poem to be incendiary and an attack on the ruling party, while his readership hailed it as a rebellious and courageous outburst.

After March 25th crackdown by Pakistani Military, Azad joined Kader Siddique’s ‘Kaderia Bahini’, a civilian guerrilla force, to fight against the occupying army in the Liberation War.

Azad returned to Bangla Academy in 1995, for a brief period, to help assist the ‘Young Writers Project’, taking up the role of poetics instructor.