'A dark moment...'

Artistes and cultural activists mourn Humayun Ahmed's death Updates

Dhaka, July 20 (bdnews24.com) — A gloomy silence has descended upon the cultural community of the country following the death of popular fiction writer Humayun Ahmed.

Artistes and cultural activists termed the moment as one of the 'darkest' one they could remember.

The popular writer died at a New York hospital on Jul 19 after a nine-month battle against colon cancer, bringing curtains on a nearly four-decade long illustrious career of Humayun Ahmed.

President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia have been leading the nation in mourning the novelist, playwright and filmmaker.

The President in a condolence message said the versatile creative work of Humayun Ahmed would be immortalised in the Bengali fiction. "It's an irreparable loss to the Bengali literature."

'মরিলে কান্দিস না আমার দায়'

'হুমায়ূন ভাইয়ের কারণেই আমি আজ কণ্ঠশিল্পী'

গল্পে গল্পে পড়াতেন হুমায়ূন

The Prime Minister in her instant reaction expressed deep shock and said, "Bangladesh will always remember Humyun Ahmed for his outstanding contribution to the fields of literature, cinema and drama."

The Opposition leader in a condolence message said his death had created a 'void' in Benglai literature and culture. "It's not reparable any too soon."

Humayun's friend and actor Asaduzzaman Noor found it difficult to express how he felt.

"I am at a loss for words. I had hoped he would come back after conquering cancer. But things don't quite unfold the way people want them to," said Noor, who has immortalised a number of Humayun's characters on screen like Baker Bhai and Mirza.

Not just Noor but several other actors and actresses became famous and are still known as Humayun Ahmed's characters. And it had been many an actor's dream to get a role in one of the writer's plays.

Dolly Zahur is another actress famous for her portrayal of middle-class homemaker of Ei Shob Din Ratri, Humayun's debut television serial of 1980s.

"The popularity that the play had given me as an actress cannot be compared with anything else I have done since. To many, even now I am Nilu Bhabi," said Zahur.

Aly Zaker, an actor who performed in many of Humayun's plays, said, "He had come among us with incredible abilities. It was a pleasure to work with him."

Humayun's plays became so popular in the 1980s, a time when there was just one television channel, that many middle class families saved up only to be able to buy a television set so they could watch Humayun's serial.

Through his almost four-decade career, Humayun penned about 322 literary pieces including novels, stories, plays, science fiction and essays. He also wrote several songs for his own films which, according to him, were a pastime he had been enjoying lately.

President of Sangskritik Jote and also a filmmaker, Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu termed him as the most popular Bengali fiction writer since Sarat Chandra Chattapadhyay, who died in 1938.

"Many high-profile writers could not see themselves becoming popular in their lifetime. But Humayun bhai had it," said Bachchu.

"I can't believe he is no more... He was contributing to Bengali literature in a big way. Humayun was a good human being," said writer Syed Shamsul Haque.

Born in 1948 at Mymensingh, the writer is survived by his two wives and six children.

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