Raghab was born on 14 November 1948 at Bhawanipore in Kolkata, one year after India's Independence. Brought up in north Kolkata, he came in touch with rural Bengal in the late 60s by virtue of his close association with the Naxalite movement. About this time he started writing. In 1970, he was arrested and spent three years in jail. This experience was reflected in his first novel, Komunis (Bengali: কমুনিস). The publication of Komunis got an encouraging reaction from intellectuals including Ashok Rudra and Malini Bhattacharya. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Raghab Bandyopadhyay continued publishing. His works of the period include Baadar galpo (Bengali: বাদার গল্প), a collection of short stories, and his second novel Shaishab (Bengali: শৈশব). During this time Raghab also began his career as a professional journalist. Since his retirement in 2007 he has been heading a publishing house named Charchapada Publication Private Limited.[1] He also edits a half-yearly Bengali magazine called Charcha (Bengali: চর্চা).
