Ekushey Padak-winning poet Al Mujahidi passes away

Ekushey Padak-winning poet, litterateur and journalist Al Mujahidi has passed away. He breathed his last at 1:40 pm on Friday, June 19, while undergoing treatment at the United Hospital in the capital. He was 83 years old.

Al Mujahidi had been suffering from various age-related complications as well as heart disease for a long time. His physical condition had been deteriorating over the past few months. In April this year, he was admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of United Hospital in critical condition. At that time, the family had informed that his kidney function had severely deteriorated, acid had spread in his body and he had also suffered a minor heart attack.

Al Mujahidi was born on January 1, 1943, in Naruchi village of Gopalpur upazila in Tangail district. His father was Abdul Halim Jamali and his mother was Sakhina Khan. He studied at Victoria High School, Kortia Sadat College, Jagannath College and the University of Dhaka. He obtained his master's degree in Sociology and Bengali Language and Literature from the University of Dhaka.

Although he started his career as a journalist, Al Mujahidi was primarily known as a poet and litterateur. He served as the literary editor of the daily Ittefaq, one of the country's oldest newspapers, for over three decades. He later also worked as a literary editor for the daily Jaijaidin.

Al Mujahidi actively participated in Bangladesh's Liberation War. The spirit of the 1971 Liberation War, patriotism, humanity and social reality frequently featured in his literary works.

He contributed significantly to various branches of Bengali literature, including poetry, novels, short stories, essays, research, children's literature and translation. His notable poetry collections include 'Hemlok er Peyala', 'Dhrubad O Terakota', 'Judhha Nastik', 'Mrittika Ati-Mrittika', 'Prison Van', 'Sour Jonaki', 'Academas er Bagaan', 'Sandhyar Bristi', 'Albatross' and 'Kando Hiroshima Kando Nagasaki'.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to literature, he received the Jibanananda Das Academy Award, the Poet Jasimuddin Academy Award, the Michael Madhusudan Academy Award, the Sher-e-Bangla Parishad Award, the Joybangla Sahitya Puraskar and the Basasap Kabyaratna Padak. In 2003, he was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of the country's highest civilian honours, for his contribution to the Bengali language and literature.

The death of poet Al Mujahidi has cast a pall of grief over the country's literary and cultural circles.