Poet Belal Chowdhury dies at 80 after long battle with illness

Poet Belal Chowdhury has died in a city hospital while he was under treatment.

Doctors in Anwer Khan Modern Hospital declared him dead on Tuesday afternoon, his elder son Abdullah Pratik Yusuf Chowdhury told bdnews24.com.

The 80-year-old poet had been receiving treatment under Prof Feroz Ahmed Qureshi in the hospital over the last four months for kidney ailments, anaemia and thyroid problems.

He was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit or ICU on Apr 19 when his health condition deteriorated. Following the day, he was put on life support.

Family members told bdnews24.com Belal Chowdhury suddenly fell ill in 2014 before joining a programme of Sahitya Akademi in Kolkata.

He was diagnosed with kidney problems back then along with his previous problems of hypertension and diabetes.

Sammilita Sangkritik Jote President Golam Quddus said the poet’s body will be taken to his residence in Paltan.

Chowdhury will be taken to Bangla Academy on Wednesday at 10.30am. He will be later kept at the Central Shahid Minar from 11am to 12pm for people of all walks of life to pay their tribute to him.

He will be buried at his ancestral home in Feni after the namaz-e-zanaza or funeral prayers at Dhaka University Central Mosque.

A poet, prose-writer, translator and also a journalist, Chowdhury was born in Feni on Nov 12, 1938. He was the eldest among nine siblings.

Chowdhury had been involved in leftist movement during his student life and even went to jail while participating in the language movement in 1952.

He had served as an editor of literary magazine Krittibas in the sixties and seventies while he lived in Kolkata. Later he had worked with Pallibarta, Sachitra Sandhani and Bharat Bichitra as an editor.

Chowdhury has authored more than 50 books of poems, prose and juvenile fiction. He wrote under pennames like ‘Ballal Sen,’ ‘Mayur Bahan’ and Sabuktagin.

‘Nishad Pradeshe,’ ‘Atmapratikriti,’ ‘Sthir Jibon O Nishorgo,’ ‘Jolbishuber Purnima,’ ‘Selai Kora Chhaya,’ and ‘Batrish Number,’ are some of his notable anthologies of poems.

His prose, articles and research books include ‘Sphulinga Theke Dabanol,’ ‘Dumurpatar Aboron,’ ‘Chetonar Rong Chandrashila’ and ‘Laksam Dada O Onnano Golpo.’

His juvenile literary works include ‘Sharey Batrish Bhaja,’ ‘Soptorotner Kandokarkhana’ and Shobuj Bhashar Chhora.’

Apart from his original writings, Chowdhury also translated from famous poets such as Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, Dylan Thomas and Octavio Paz. He also edited few memoirs ‘Pablo Neruda—Shotoborsher Shroddhanjoli,’ ‘Shamsur Rahman Songbordhona Grontho,’ and ‘Kobitay Bangabandhu.’

Chowdhury had returned to Bangladesh from Kolkata in 1974 and joined progressive cultural movement. He contributed in forming Jaitiya Kabita Parishad and Padabali Kabita Sangathan.

Chowdhury had been honoured with Ekushey Padak in 2014 along with other accolades, such as Bangla Academy Literature Award, Niharranjan Swarna Padak, and Jatiya Kabita Parishad Award.

He is survived with his daughter Safia Akter Chowdhury and sons Abdullah Pratik Yusuf Chowdhury and Abdullah Nasif Chowdhury Pablo.