Humayun Ahmed’s 11th Death Anniv Observed

On Wednesday, Bangladesh will commemorate the 11th anniversary of the passing of renowned author and director Humayun Ahmed.

The eminent author, widely regarded as one of the pillars of contemporary Bangla literature, passed away on July 19, 2012, at the age of 63, in Bellevue Hospital, New York, United States, from colorectal cancer.

His family and numerous organizations are commemorating the day with various events and initiatives.

In the morning, Meher Afroz Shaon, a media personality and the widow of Humayun Ahmed, together with their two sons Ninit and Nishad, laid wreaths at his grave in Nuhash Palli, Gazipur.

Since early in the day, special prayers have been planned, and a prayer service has also been arranged to ask for the eternal salvation of his soul. Authorities in both Shaon and Nuhash Palli have announced that orphans will be fed at noon to commemorate the event.

Since 2013, the writer's well-known fan club, Himu Paribahan, has observed the special day. In the morning, members of the platform laid wreaths at the writer's tomb.

While supporters and fans are posting heartfelt tributes to the great on social media, several other groups are also marking the day with unique events.

Numerous shows celebrating the life and illustrious work of the wordsmith are also being broadcast on television channels and radio stations.

Humayun Ahmed was born in Kutubpur village at Mohanganj, Netrakona to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948.

He studied at Bogra Zilla School and Dhaka College, before earning his BSc and MSc in chemistry from Dhaka University with first class. He joined Dhaka University as a lecturer of chemistry and later went to North Dakota State University in the United States to pursue his PhD in polymer chemistry.

"Nondito Noroke" (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave him the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer. The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh to date.

He won the Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award and more for his outstanding contribution to the Bangali culture and entertainment sphere.

Humayun Ahmed debuted with his drama "Prothom Prohor" (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV). His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials "Ei Shob Din Ratri," "Bohubrihi," "Ayomoy," "Nokkhotrer Raat," "Aaj Robibar" and most notably, "Kothao Keu Nei," which created a never-before-seen hype in the nation surrounding the lead character Baker Bhai, portrayed by veteran actor Asaduzzaman Noor.

Humayun Ahmed also saw success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his novels. Two of his films, "Shyamol Chhaya" (2004) and "Ghetuputra Komola" (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years.

He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films "Shonkhonil Karagar" (as screenwriter), "Aguner Poroshmoni," "Daruchini Dwip" and "Ghetuputra Komola."