Veteran artist Mustafa Monwar admitted to ICU

Eminent Bangladeshi artist and pioneer of the country’s puppet movement Mustafa Monwar has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Square Hospital in Dhaka after his health condition deteriorated, family members said on Thursday (June 18).

The veteran cultural figure has been undergoing intensive treatment for the past four days after being rushed to the hospital on June 14. Following initial examinations in the emergency department, physicians decided to place him in the ICU due to concerns over his overall physical condition.

His wife, Mary Monwar, said doctors moved him to intensive care after his blood pressure and oxygen saturation levels dropped to critically low levels. He is currently under close medical observation.

Family sources said Monwar has been suffering from several age-related health complications for a long time. In September 2024, he was placed on life support following a serious illness. Although he later recovered to some extent, his condition reportedly worsened again after a recent bout of pneumonia.

Mustafa Monwar is widely regarded as one of Bangladesh’s most influential cultural personalities. Beginning his career as a teacher, he later became a pioneering force in the country’s puppet movement and earned nationwide recognition through his creative work for children on television, shaping the childhood of generations of Bangladeshis.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions to art and culture, Monwar received the prestigious Ekushey Padak in 2004. He was also honoured with the Sultan Gold Medal by the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 2018.