State send-off for Azam Khan

Dhaka, June 6 (bdnews24.com)— Bengali Pop Guru and war veteran Azam Khan has been laid to rest in state honour at the Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard at Mirpur following the namaj-e-janaza at Baitul Mukarram.

The body of Azam Khan was to the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque from the Central Shaheed Minar for namaj-e-janaza.

Tens of hundreds of people earlier paid their last respects to Bangladesh's pop legend at the Shaheed Minar before his remains were taken to the national mosque around 11:45am on Monday.

The coffin was brought to the Shaheed Minar around 9:45am following the first janaza at Kamalapur in the city.

Azam Khan was taken to his Kamalapur residence from the mortuary of the Combined Military Hospital where he died on Sunday after a long battle against cancer.

Apart from the family and relatives, many of the fans and well-wishers burst into tears as they placed wreaths at the Shaheed Minar for around two hours.

Awami League, BNP and other political and social organisations placed wreaths at the coffin of Azam Khan. Sammillita Sangskritik Jote arranged the event.

Azam Khan's elder daughter Ema Khan, son Hridoy Khan and younger brother Liakat Ali Khan Khoka were beside his coffin.

After placing a wreath at the coffin, ruling Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam said: "Azam khan is a freedom fighter. The vacuum created in the music arena following his death is never to be fulfilled. The nation will always remember what it has got from the pop legend."

BNP publicity secretary Zainul Abedin Farooque, also opposition chief whip, said: "The great singer put the music of the country at a higher position through Ganasangeet (mass songs) during the post-Liberation War period."

Azam Khan's long-time friend Fakir Alamgir said: Azam Khan liked to live a very simple life. We together had sung Ganasangeet after the Liberation War. I have become lonely after losing him."

The musician had long been suffering from oral cancer. On May 22, he was admitted to Square Hospitals when his pain became unbearable after the cancer spread to other parts.

On life support, he was shifted to the CMH on June 1 and died there after four days.

He was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and underwent advanced treatment in Singapore twice that year. But he did not follow up on his treatment.

Doctors lost hope on his condition improving with the cancer spreading to his lungs.

Born on Feb 28, 1950, Azam Khan (full name Mahbubul Haque Khan) had fought as a guerrilla fighter against the Pakistani occupation forces in the war in Sector 2 and inspired many freedom fighters with his songs.

His first television concert was aired in 1972 on Bangladesh Television.

The pioneer of Bengali rock, he founded a band called 'Uchcharon' in the early 1970s and was dubbed as the Guru of pop music in Bangladesh by his legions of fans and subsequent pop singers.

Azam Khan was an imaginative composer, inspired musician, straight-down-the-line lyricist and a singer of uninhibited emotion.

His outstanding compositions such as Obhimani, Ashi Ashi Bole Tumi, Highcourt Er Majare, Orey Saleka Orey Maleka, Jibone Kichhu Pabona Re, Ami Jare Chaire, Rail Liner Oi Bostite', and Hei Allah, Hei Allah Re became instant hits.

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