Author Ekhlas Uddin Ahmed passes away

Well-known author of children’s books Ekhlas Uddin Ahmed has died at the age of 74.

He passed away around 4am Wednesday while being treated at Dhaka's Square Hospital.

“Ekhlas Uddin had been in hospital for the past one month because of a brain haemorrhage,” his brother-in-law Ali Imam, who is also a writer, told bdnews24.com.

“He had been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as his condition had worsened. He died while he was under observation in the ICU,” Imam said.

Ekhlas Uddin Ahmed, who was the editor of ‘Tapur Tupur’, a popular teen magazine, was born on Dec 16, 1940 in 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India. He was awarded the ‘Ekushey Padak’ in 2000 for literature.

He had worked for the Daily Janakantha as a journalist but his passion for literature made him turn to writing books for children and poetry.

Besides ‘Ekushey Padak’, Ekhlas Uddin Ahmed was awarded the ‘Pashchim Banga Jubo Utshob Puroshkar’ in 1962, ‘Bangla Academy Puroshkar’ in 1971, ‘Alaol Sahitya Puroshkar’ in 1983, ‘Agrani Bank Shishu-shahitya Puroshkar’ in 1986, ‘Shishu Academy Puroshkar” in 1999, ‘Kabir Chowdhury Shishu-shahitya Puroshkar’ in 2004 and ‘Euro Shishu-shahitya Puroshkar’ in 2007.