Prominent playwright, former JU Pro-VC Afsar Ahmed passes away

Professor Afsar Ahmad, country’s renowned educator, playwright and Jahangirnagar University’s Drama and Dramatics Department’s co-founder, died of heart attack at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in the capital on Saturday at the age of 60.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on the plane when he was returning to Dhaka from Khulna and was immediately taken to the hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead about 1:30pm.

This was confirmed to the media by professor Esrafil Ahmed Rangon, chairman of the JU Drama and Dramatics Department.

His sudden departure has left a shadow of grief on the university and the cultural arena in the country.

Professor Afsar Ahmed’s body was taken to the JU campus and after Isha prayers, where his first namaz-e-janaza took place at the central field of the university which was joined by prominent personalities including noted cultural personality Nasir Uddin Yousuff, alongside the teachers and students.

He will be buried in the North Jamsha village of Singair upazila in Manikganj district on Sunday.

JU vice chancellor professor Farzana Islam expressed her condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul’s eternal rest, saying that professor Afsar Ahmad’s death is an irreparable loss to the cultural arena and the Jahangirnagar University, where he co-founded the Drama and Dramatics Department with eminent late playwright Selim Al Deen.

Professor Afsar Ahmad was born on 30 September, 1959, in the Manikganj district’s North Jamsha village, Singair upazila. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the Language and Literature department at JU.

Later on, he earned a PhD from JU for his outstanding research on Bangladeshi ethnic drama.

Afsar Ahmad began his teaching career as a lecturer at Jahangirnagar University’s Bangla department, then moved on to the country’s first full-fledged Drama and Dramatics department in 1986, in which he played a crucial role in the foundation alongside Selim Al Deen.

Alongside teaching, he also performed various important duties for the university administration including chairman of the Drama and Dramatics department, dean of Arts and Humanities faculty, proctor, pro-vice chancellor and an elected member of the Senate and Syndicate.

Besides, he was also a renowned poet, playwright, researcher, translator, and literary critic.

Afsar Ahmad left behind his wife, a daughter, and a host of well-wishers to mourn his death.