Bashir Badr, the celebrated Urdu poet, Padma Shri awardee and one of the most influential voices of modern Ghazal poetry, passed away in Bhopal today after a prolonged illness. His death has triggered an outpouring of grief across literary and cultural circles in India and abroad, with admirers mourning the loss of a poet whose verses resonated deeply with generations of readers and listeners.
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VIDEO | Bhopal, MP: Renowned Urdu poet Bashir Badr passes away at 91. His son, Syed Badr, says, “Bashir Badr sahib passed away today at around 12.15–12.30 pm. For me, it is very difficult to express the extent of Bashir sahib’s impact on others. I can only speak about the impact… pic.twitter.com/xZb0z3teVN
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2026
Loss of a legend
In an X post by PTI, his son Syed Badr said, “Bashir Badr sahib passed away today at around 12.15–12.30 pm. For me, it is very difficult to express the extent of Bashir sahib’s impact on others. I can only speak about the impact he had on me... Today is the day when he is no longer with us. I request everyone to pray for him. Another information is that his funeral will take place today. After Maghrib prayers, his namaz-e-janaza will be offered at Kadim Masjid, and he will be laid to rest at the Bada Bagh graveyard.”
Who was Bashir Badr?
Born on February 15, 1935, in Ayodhya, Dr Bashir Badr completed his B.A., M.A., and PhD at Aligarh Muslim University. He began his academic career as a lecturer at the university before serving as Lecturer and Head of the Urdu Department at Meerut College, Meerut, for nearly 17 years.
A gifted linguist with a command of Urdu, Persian, Hindi, and English, Bashir Badr began writing poetry at the age of seven. Over the decades, he authored more than seven collections of Urdu poetry and one in Hindi. His poetry reached readers across linguistic and geographical boundaries, with Ghazals published in Devanagari and Gujarati scripts and translations available in English and French. His collection Aas, featuring 69 Ghazals, is regarded as one of the finest works of modern Urdu poetry.
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During his lifetime, Dr. Bashir Badr received numerous honours, including the prestigious Padma Shri. He was honoured four times by the Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy and once by the Bihar Urdu Academy. Internationally, he received the Meer Academy Award and was named “Poet of the Year 1980” in New York.
Over the years, Bashir Badr travelled extensively to countries including the United States, Dubai, Qatar and Pakistan, participating in Mushairas and literary events attended by Urdu poetry enthusiasts worldwide. Though the poet is no more, his timeless couplets and immortal Ghazals will continue to inspire generations of poetry lovers for years to come.
