A prolific writer, Rahman produced more than sixty books of poetry collection and is considered a key figure in Bengali literature from the latter half of the 20th century.

His paternal home is situated on the bank of the river Meghna, a village named Paratoli, near the Raipura thana of Narshingdi district.

Shamsur Rahman started writing poetry at the age of eighteen, just after graduating from the Dhaka College.

He had a long career as a journalist and served as the editor of a national daily, Dainik Bangla and the Weekly Bichitra in the 1980s.

A shy person by nature, he became an outspoken liberal intellectual in the 1990s against religious fundamentalism and reactionary nationalism in Bangladesh.

[2] Shamsur Rahman's first book of poetry, Prothom Gaan Dwityo Mrittyur Agey (First Song Before the Second Death) was published in 1960.

He wrote his famous poem Asader Shirt which was written with respect to the mass uprising of 1969 led by Maulana Bhasani.

During the historical movement against Ershad he published his book Buk Tar Bangladesher Hridoy indicating the great sacrifice of Nur Hossain.

Shamsur Rahman wrote most of his poems in free verse, often with the rhythm style known as Poyaar or Okhshorbritto.

He also wrote poems in two other major patterns of Bengali rhythmic style, namely, Matrabritto and Shwarobritto.

[4] Shamsur Rahman started his professional career as a co-editor in the English daily Morning News in 1957.

[9] Charges were filed against seven by Criminal Investigation Department Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahhar Akhand on 8 July 1999.

On 12 February 2004, the accused assassins were acquitted due to a lack of witness by Dhaka's Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court.

Also, Rahman offers us the kind of poetry that effectively traverses a wide range of middle-class experiences, while making some politically significant inter-class connections in the interest of animating and inspiring broad-based struggles against oppression and injustice, although his perspective remains inflected by a progressive and robust version of liberal humanism."