Language Movement veteran Ahmed Rafiq passes away

Ahmed Rafiq, a  Language Movement veteran, died of old-age complications at a hospital in the city tonight.

He was 96.

He breathed his last at about 10:12 pm on Thursday at  Birdem Hospital in the capital after physicians removed his ventilation support, a cultural activist confirmed it.

On 11 Sept, Rafiq was admitted to the hospital.

He had been suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney failure, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, electrolyte imbalance and lung infections, according to Physicians.

He was born on 12 Sept, 1929, in Shahbazpur, Brahmanbaria.

Rafiq participated in the 1952 Language Movement, working closely with students from different Universities and colleges.

He was the only student from Dhaka Medical College to have an arrest warrant issued against him in 1954.

In 1958, he published his first book, Shilpo Songskriti Jibon (Art, Culture, and Life). Rafiq received numerous accolades, including the Ekushey Padak, Bangla Academy Award, and Rabindra Sahitya Award for his outstanding contributions to literature.