Eminent academician, writer, researcher and President of Bangla Academy Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq passed away today.
He breathed his last at a hospital in the capital's Mirpur this afternoon. He was 85.
Bangla Academy Director General Mohammad Azam confirmed his death. He said Professor Haq felt unwell around 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm today and was rushed to a local hospital, where the attending doctor declared him dead. His body has been taken to his Mirpur residence.
Born on September 30, 1940, in Pakundia village of Pakundia upazila under Kishoreganj district, Prof Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq had a long and illustrious career. He served as a professor in the Department of Bengali at Dhaka University for a long time and was a former chairman of the department.
His daughter, Shuchita Sharmin, is a professor in the Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University. His son, Faysal Arefin Dipan, the owner of Jagriti Prokashoni, was brutally murdered by miscreants on October 31, 2015.
In an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on May 29, Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq described the widely discussed article titled 'Ekta Jatir Jonmo' (Birth of a Nation) by Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman as a 'historical document' and suggested its inclusion in textbooks.
Prof Haq played a pivotal role in ensuring the use of the Bengali language at all levels. Apart from editing two periodicals named 'Sundaram' and 'Lokayata', he authored more than 20 important books, including 'Ekushey February Andolan', 'Rajneeti Dorshon', 'Sahitya Chinta', and 'Sanskriter Sohoj Kotha'. He also edited several books, including 'Itihaser Aloke Bangladesher Sanskriti' and 'Swadeshchinta'. He received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1981.
Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General and Minister for Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of Abul Kasem Fazlul Haq.
In a condolence message, he prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and expressed profound sympathy to the bereaved family members, BNP media cell member Shairul Kabir Khan said.
He added that Cultural Affairs Minister Advocate Nitai Roy Chowdhury will visit the residence of late Abul Kasem Fazlul Haq.