Writer Syed Haq laid to rest in Kurhigram

Prolific writer Syed Shamsul Haq has been buried in his birthplace Kurhigram in deference to his last wishes.

The mortal remains of the author, poet and playwright were taken to the northern district by helicopter on Wednesday afternoon after people from different walks of life had paid their last respects to him at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

Several political, social and cultural organisations and people of Kurhigram paid their last respects by placing wreaths on the coffin at Kurhigram Government College ground.

Thousands took part at a funeral prayer there at 4:10pm.

The poet was buried next to the college mosque as per his wishes at 5pm.

Haq breathed his last at the age of 81. He is survived by wife Anwara, a son and a daughter.

Born on Dec 27, 1935 at Kurhigram's Thanaparha, he had fiercely opposed the fundamentalist, anti-independence stream in Bangladesh.

The author sketched a heart-wrenching scenario of the lives of the poverty-stricken people in North Bengal, his birth place.