Bengali literature (Bengali: বাংলা সাহিত্য, Bāņglā Sāhiţyo) denotes the body of writings in the Bengali language in South Asia. The earliest extant work in Bengali literature is Charyapada, the Buddhist mystic songs dated to the 10th and 11th centuries. The Turkish invasion of 1199 disrupted all literary activity until the mid-14th century. Thereafter, the timeline of Bengali literature is divided into two periods − medieval (1360-1800) and modern (after 1800).

Medieval Bengali literature consists of various poetic genres like Mangalkavya, translations of Sanskrit texts, Vaishnava Padavali, biographies of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and secular texts by Muslim poets etc.

Novels and Epics were introduced to Bengali literature in the mid-19th century. Rabindranath Tagore, poet, playwright, novelist, painter, essayist, musician, and social reformer, is the best known figure of Bengali literature to the world. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. After the post-partition era, Bengali literature comprises literature of erstwhile East Pakistan and modern-day Bangladesh and of Paschimbanga (West Bengal).

Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (Bengali: তারাশঙ্কর বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়) (24 July 1898 -14 September 1971) was one of the leading Bengali novelists. He wrote 65 novels, 53 story-books, 12 plays, 4 essay-books, 4 autobiographies and 2 travel stories. A notable man of wisdom, he was awarded Rabindra Puraskar, Sahitya Akademi award, Jnanpith Award, and Padma Bhushan.

Bandyopadhyay was born at his ancestral home at Labhpur village in Birbhum district, Bengal Province, British India (now Paschimbanga, India) to Haridas Bandyopadhyay and Prabhabati Devi. He passed the Matriculation examination from Labhpur Jadablal H. E. School in 1916 and later admitted first to St. Xavier's College, Calcutta and then to South Suburban College. While studying in intermediate at St. Xavier's College, he joined the non-cooperation movement. He could not complete his university course due to ill-health and political activism.

He was arrested in 1930 for actively supporting the Indian independence movement, but released later that year. After that he decided to devote himself to literature. In 1932, he met Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan for the first time. His first novel Chaitali Ghurni was published on the same year.

Mahasweta Devi (Bengali: মহাশ্বেতা দেবী Môhashsheta Debi) (born 1926) is an Indian social activist and writer.

Mahasweta Devi was born in 1926 in Dhaka, to literary parents in a Hindu Brahmin family. Her father Manish Ghatak was a well-known poet and novelist of the Kallol era, who used the pseudonym Jubanashwa. Noted filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak was the elder brother of Manish Ghatak. Mahasweta's mother Dharitri Devi was also a writer and a social worker whose brothers were very distinguished in various fields, such as the noted sculptor Sankha Chaudhury and the founder-editor of the Economic and Political Weekly of India, Sachin Chaudhury. Her first schooling was in Dhaka, but after the partition of India she moved to West Bengal in India. She joined the Rabindranath Tagore-founded Vishvabharati University in Santiniketan and completed a B.A. (Hons) in English, and then finished an M.A. in English at Calcutta University as well. She later married renowned playwright Bijon Bhattacharya who was one of the founding fathers of the IPTA movement. In 1948, she gave birth to Nabarun Bhattacharya, currently one of Bengal's and India's leading novelist whose works are noted for their intellectual vigour and philosophical flavour. She got divorced from Bijon Bhattacharya in 1959.

Kazi Nazrul Islam (Bengali: কাজী নজরুল ইসলাম Kazi Nozrul Islam) (25 May 1899–29 August 1976), sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi (Rebel Poet), was a Bangladeshi poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi (Rebel Poet). Accomplishing a large body of acclaimed works through his life, Nazrul is officially recognised as the national poet of Bangladesh and commemorated in India.

Born into a Muslim quazi (justice) family in India, Nazrul received religious education and worked as a muezzin at a local mosque. He learned of poetry, drama, and literature while working with theatrical groups. After serving in the British Indian Army, Nazrul established himself as a journalist in Kolkata (then Calcutta ). He assailed the British Raj in India and preached revolution through his poetic works, such as "Bidrohi" ("The Rebel") and "Bhangar Gaan" ("The Song of Destruction"), as well as his publication "Dhumketu" ("The Comet"). His impassioned activism in the Indian independence movement often led to his imprisonment by British authorities. While in prison, Nazrul wrote the "Rajbandir Jabanbandi" ("Deposition of a Political Prisoner"). Exploring the life and conditions of the downtrodden masses of India , Nazrul worked for their emancipation.

Runa Laila (Bengali: রুনা লায়লা (born 17 November 1952) is a singer who is from Bangladesh.^{[citation needed]} She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh, India and Pakistani film industries during late 60s,70s and early 80's. Her best known number is Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.^{[citation needed]}

Runa Laila was born in an upper middle class family on November 17, 1952, in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Her father was from Rajshahi. A music ustad would visit the family home, to teach classical music to Runa's elder sister Dina Laila. As younger siblings are wont to do, Runa too would sit down and pick it up effortlessly.^{[citation needed]} But the energetic youngster's heart was in dance, and she was enrolled in a school where she learnt Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Kathakali. Her early music training was done when her family lived in Karachi's Federal B area in 1960. Ustad Qader, later known as Piya Rang, was her teacher.^{[citation needed]}