Pragati Lekhak Sangha (1939) a group of progressive writers who were inspired by the Progressive Writers' Movement. The Indian Progressive Writers' Association was set up in London in 1935. The Progressive Writers' Association was set up in Kolkata in July 1936 and the All India Writers' Association was set up in Lucknow on 10 April 1936 under the leadership of Syed Sajjad Zahir. The groups were anti-imperialistic and left-oriented, and sought to inspire people through their writings advocating equality and attacking social injustice and backwardness.

The Pragati Lekhak Sangha of Dhaka was also inspired by the same progressive ideology and the principles of equality and humanism. somen chanda, Satish Pakrashi, Kiron Shankar Sengupta, Ranesh Das Gupta, Amrita Kumar Dutta, Jyotirmay Sen were associated with the group from the beginning. The group met at the Pragati Pathagar of south Maisendi to discuss and read papers. Kranti, a compilation of essays read at their literary meetings, was published in 1940. Pratirodh, the fortnightly magazine of the group, was brought out in 1942.

The first conference of the Pragati Lekhak Sangha was held at Gandaria High School in 1940 under the Chairmanship of kazi abdul wadud. Ranesh Das Gupta was elected general secretary and Somen Chanda assistant general secretary. After the Germans attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, the group organised a weeklong Soviet Fair in protest. Somen Chanda-the main architect of the association- was killed by hooligans at a procession of rail workers on 8 March 1942. This provoked countrywide protests.

Around this time the Pragati Lekhak Sangha changed its name to Fascist-Birodhi Lekhak O Shilpi Sangha (Association of Anti-Fascist Writers and Artists). After three years it resumed its original name. However, with the change in both national and international politics, the group had to face considerable hardship. After the partition of the subcontinent and the creation of India and Pakistan, the Progressive Writers Movement faded away. With the departure of many of its writers and in the face of government harassment, the activities of the Pragati Lekhak Sangha came to an end. [Wakil Ahmed]