‘Death is easier than life’, late mayor Annisul Huq’s wife says at commemoration

Rubana Huq, the wife of Annisul Huq, has described how her understanding of life and death changed when the late Dhaka North mayor was being treated at a London hospital.

“Life is very cruel. I realised in the last four months with Annis that death is easy; life is harder than that,” Rubana said, speaking at a commemoration of Annisul at the Bangla Academy in Dhaka on Wednesday.

Annisul, praised for his proactive measures after becoming mayor in 2015, died in London on Nov 30 last year after months of battle with cerebral vasculitis — an inflammation of the blood vessel wall involving the brain. 

“Annis is still around me. All the members of our family still wait for the moment when he will come through the door. I find Annis when my children speak,” Rubana said.  

“I am the biggest critic of Annis, his closest friend and well-wisher. I lost more than a husband or companion in his death as I gave 90 percent of my life for him,” she added.

Rubana said Annisul had “set an example in serving the people before his departure like a hero”.

She also said the Nagorik TV channel, founded by Annisul, would start its journey officially next month.

‘Shilpir Pashe Foundation’, an organisation formed by Annisul to protect artists’ rights, organised the commemoration.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, Professor Anisuzzaman, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro’s Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, author Selina Hossain, writer-academic Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, magician Jewel Aich, singer Syed Abdul Hadi, and TV personality Nawazish Ali Khan also attended the event.

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