Daud Haider, born into a wealthy family of poets and writers in what was then East Bengal (now Bangladesh), showed immense promise as a rising star in the local poetry scene. In 1973, his work was recognized with "The Best Poem of Asia" award by the London Society of Poetry. However, in 1974, at the age of 22, a single poem criticizing religion altered the course of his life. Accusations of offending religious sentiments led to his arrest and subsequent exile to Kolkata, India. He lived the remainder of his life under the shadow of a fatwa, becoming one of the earliest South Asian authors to face the wrath of religious groups, predating Salman Rushdie and Taslima Nasreen. The pain of over 50 years in exile and the longing for his homeland remained with him.

During his time in Kolkata, Haider continued to write, study, and build a life. However, in 1987, the Indian government's refusal to extend his visa forced him to leave. The case garnered international attention, with members of PEN America, including Susan Sontag and Kurt Vonnegut, appealing to then-Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to extend his visa, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Gunter Grass, a Nobel Prize-winning German author residing in Kolkata, intervened by writing to the German Foreign Minister, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, to request asylum for Haider in Germany. The German government approved the request, and Haider relocated to Berlin in 1987.

Initially, Haider attracted considerable interest in Berlin, receiving scholarships, invitations, and interview requests. However, this attention gradually waned, and he faced everyday challenges and financial concerns. Deutsche Welle (DW) offered him an opportunity when journalist Abdullah Al-Farooq, an acquaintance from Bangladesh, recruited him for the newly established Bengali editorial team. Haider, still a well-known name in Bangladesh, began writing for DW in 1989, focusing on themes of homeland and homelessness. Al-Farooq described him as passionate in his roles as a poet, journalist, and dissident.

Debarati Guha, director of Asia Programs at DW, recalls her conversations with Haider, noting that he considered being born in Bangladesh his "sin" because his criticism of Islam led to his exile. Despite this, his love for his country motivated his work as a poet and journalist for DW. Haider wrote approximately 30 books while in exile in Germany, primarily published in India and Bangladesh, with only a few poems translated into German. He never felt truly at home in Germany, declining German citizenship and instead holding a UN visa identifying him as "stateless (Bangladesh)," a reflection of how he viewed his identity.

Despite spending over five decades in exile and never being allowed to return to Bangladesh, Daud Haider remains revered in his homeland. Following his death in Berlin on April 26, 2025, numerous obituaries in Bangladeshi and Indian newspapers celebrated his life and work. Indian writer, musician, and literary critic Amit Chaudhuri remarked, "His departure leaves us a strange world behind."