Purabi Basu: key obituary facts
Is Purabi Basu dead? Yes. Purabi Basu died on November 14, 2026, at age 77.
Cause of death: Purabi Basu's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Purabi Basu known for?
She was a Bangladeshi poet.
More about Purabi Basu
Born: 21 September 1949.
Gender: female.
Occupation: poet, writer.
Nationality: Pakistan, Bangladesh.
Education: University of Dhaka, University of Missouri, Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania.
Awards: Bangla Academy Literary Award.
Occupations: Writer, pharmacologist, activist.
Purabi Basu, a Bangladeshi poet, short-story writer, essayist, pharmacologist and feminist activist, died November 14, 2026, aged 77.
Born in Munshiganj District, then part of East Bengal, she began writing in childhood and later published in Dainik Bangla under Ahsan Habib’s guidance. Her academic path joined literary work with scientific training: she graduated in pharmacy from the University of Dhaka, earned a master’s degree in biochemistry from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1972, and completed a doctorate in nutrition at the University of Missouri in 1976.
Basu subsequently held research and academic positions at Cornell University Medical College and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her work in research drew recognition from the National Institutes of Health and the American Institute of Nutrition before she moved into the pharmaceutical industry. At Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a New York-based drug company, she served as a quality assurance specialist and senior executive. Her literary work spanned short stories, essays and poetry, and was recognized with the Anannya Literary Award in 2005 and the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2013.