People from all walks of life, mostly teachers and students, paid their last respects to short-story writer and novelist Hasan Azizul Huq, who died on Monday night at the age of 82.
As the Ekushey Padak-winning author’s body was brought to Central Shaheed Minar of Rajshahi University around 12pm, district commissioner Abdul Jalil was among the first to pay his respect to the departed soul.
Abdul placed floral wreaths on Hasan Azizul’s body on behalf of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Teachers and students of different departments as well as representatives of several social and political organisations of Rajshahi University also placed floral wreaths on the body.
Hasan Azizul’s ‘Namaj-e-Janaja’ will be held after zuhr and he will be laid to rest in the university’s central library garden.
Hasan Azizul breathed his last around 9pm on Monday.
Rajshahi bids adieu to Hasan Azizul Huq
In August, Hasan Azizul was airlifted to Dhaka after he fell seriously ill. He returned home a few days later. He had age-related health issues, heart problems and diabetes.
He was first admitted to National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute. A 16-member medical board was formed for his treatment. Later he was shifted to BSMMU where another medical board of five doctors was formed.
Born in Jabgraam of Bengal’s Burdwan district in 1939, Hasan Azizul completed his post-graduation from Rajshahi University in 1960. He served as a faculty member in the university’s philosophy department from 1973 to 2004.
Considered as one of the most prominent writers and a legendary litterateur in the country, he received many prestigious awards in his literary career, including Bangla Academy Literary Award (1970), Ekushey Padak (1999), Ananda Puroshkar (2008), Independence Award (2019), and Lekhok Shibir Puroshkar for his contribution to Bengali literature.
Source: United News of Bangladesh