President of the Bangla Academy and former chairman of the Department of Bangla at the University of Dhaka, Professor Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq, has passed away.
He breathed his last on Sunday afternoon in Mirpur, the capital city. He was 85 years old.
Mohammad Azam, Director General of the Bangla Academy and a former student of Professor Abul Kasem Fazlul Haq, confirmed the news of his death to Prothom Alo.
He said, "Between 2: 30 and 3: 00 in the afternoon, sir went to eat at a restaurant in Mirpur-1. When he felt unwell there, he was taken to the hospital. As far as I have heard, he was taken to the Heart Foundation. There, the physicians declared him dead. "
Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq was born on 30 September 1940, in the village of Pakundia, Pakundia Upazila, Kishoreganj District.
During his career, he taught for many years in the Department of Bangla at the University of Dhaka.
He played a significant role in ensuring the use of the Bangla language at all levels.
Besides editing two periodicals named "Sundaram" and "Lokayat, " he authored many important books.
More than 20 books of the esteemed professor, including "Ekusher February Andolan" (February 21st Movement), "Rajneeti Darshan" (Political Philosophy), "Sahitya Chinta" (Literary Thoughts), and "Sanskritir Shohoj Kotha" (Simple Words on Culture), have been published.
Under his editorship, several books like "Itihaasher Aloy Bangladesh-er Sanskriti" (Bangladesh's Culture in the Light of History) and "Swadeshchinta" (Thoughts on the Motherland) have been published.
He received the Bangla Academy Award in 1981.