Kangal Harinath was born in Kumarkhali village, Kushtia District, now in Bangladesh. He took up journalism to promote the cause of the poor and oppressed. He started writing in the Sangbad Prabhakar and in 1863 started publishing a journal, Grambarta Prakashika. The journal was funded by Swarnakumari Devi. In 1873 Harinath set up a printing press for printing this journal. He was a disciple of Lalon Shah. He established a Baul group named Kangal Fakir Chander Dal (Group of the Penniless Fakir Chand) in 1880. His songs had a profound influence on many thinkers of the day, including Rabindranath Tagore and Akshay Kumar Maitreya. On his death, the Indian Mirror commented 'The district of Nuddea has lost one of its great men'.