National Professor Rafiqul Islam passes away

National Professor Rafiqul Islam is no more. The 87-year old professor Rafiqul Islam breathed his last at Evercare Hospital in the capital at 2:30pm on Tuesday.

The hospital's duty officer Avijit Roy confirmed the news to Prothom Alo.

He said professor Rafiqul was shifted to the hospital on 21 November from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical University (BSMMU) where he was admitted on 7 October.

Rafiqul Islam is a former professor of Bangla department in Dhaka University. He was the first Nazrul Professor and first director of Nazrul Research Centre in DU.

He was a director general of Bangla Academy and vice chancellor of University of Liberal Arts (ULAB).

Recipient of Swadhinata Padak (Independence Award) and Ekhushey Padak, professor Rafiqul Islam authored at least 30 books.

The government appointed him as Bangla Academy president on 18 May 2021.

Rafiqul Islam actively took part in language movement and took some rare photographs of the movement.