Guwahati: Noted Assamese poet and lyricist Anis Uz Zaman passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati on Sunday morning (September 20, 2026). He was 79.

Zaman breathed his last at 7.40 am at Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati, according to family sources.

Born on February 3, 1947, in Baruah Bamunbari village in Assam’s Sivasagar district, Zaman had a long association with education and literature.

He worked as a teacher and was associated with Guwahati University. He also taught at R.D. Higher Secondary School in Mirza.

Zaman served as the president of the All Assam Poets’ Conference (Asom Kabi Sanmilan) and was a member of the Asom Sahitya Sabha.

His literary journey began with his debut poetry collection Agnjate, published in 1989. It was followed by several acclaimed works, including Seujia Joon (1999), Gadhuli (1994), Ei Batediei (2013) and Dokmokali (2014).

The Assam Poets’ Conference conferred the title of Kabyaratna on Zaman in recognition of his contribution to Assamese poetry.

In 2025, the Asom Sahitya Sabha honoured him with the prestigious national title of “National Poet”.

Zaman was also the recipient of the Gangadhar Meher National Poetry Award, Ganesh Gogoi Award and Amulya Chakraborty Memorial Translation Award.

His literary works were translated into several languages, including English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Tamil, French and Spanish, taking his poetry and literary contributions beyond the Assamese-speaking world.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief over the poet’s demise.

In a social media post, Sarma described Zaman as an eminent poet, translator, critic and eloquent orator, and recalled his “immensely positive and simple-hearted” personality.

“The news of the demise of eminent poet, translator, critic, eloquent orator, and an immensely positive and simple-hearted personality, Anis Uz Zaman Dangoriya, has deeply pained me. Not only to the literary world, but to us as well, he was like a close, dear family member. His company, simplicity, and positive persona will always remain vivid in memory. His passing has created an irreparable void in both literature and social life. Praying for the eternal peace of the departed soul of this eminent poet and translator, I extend my deepest condolences to his family, relatives, and admirers in this hour of grief.”