Rajshahi bids adieu to Hasan Azizul Huq

People from all walks of life, including teachers and students, paid their last respects to short-story writer and novelist Hasan Azizul Huq, who died on Monday night at the age of 82.

As the Ekushey Padak-winning author’s body was brought to Central Shaheed Minar of Rajshahi University around 12:00pm, deputy commissioner Abdul Jalil was among the first to pay his respect to the departed soul, reports UNB.

Abdul Jalil placed wreaths on behalf of president Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Teachers and students of different departments as well as representatives of several social and political organisations of Rajshahi University also placed wreaths as part of paying their respect.

Hasan Azizul Huq’s ‘Namaj-e-Janaja’ was held after Zuhr prayers. He will be laid to rest in the university’s central library garden.

Hasan Azizul Huq breathed his last around 9:00pm on Monday.

In August, Hasan Azizul Huq was airlifted to Dhaka after he fell seriously ill. He returned home a few days later. He had age-related health issues, heart problems and diabetes.

He was first admitted to National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute. A 16-member medical board was formed for his treatment. Later he was shifted to BSMMU where another medical board of five physicians was formed.

Born in Jabgraam of Bengal’s Burdwan district in 1939, Hasan Azizul Huq completed his post-graduation from Rajshahi University in 1960. He served as a faculty member in the university’s philosophy department from 1973 to 2004.

Considered as one of the most prominent writers and a legendary litterateur in the country, he received many prestigious awards in his literary career, including Bangla Academy Literary Award (1970), Ekushey Padak (1999), Ananda Puroshkar (2008), Independence Award (2019), and Lekhok Shibir Puroshkar for his contributions to Bangla literature.