The 8th death anniversary of eminent Bangladeshi writer, playwright, lyricist, academician and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed is being observed today.
This time, Humayun's death anniversary is being observed by various organisations with limited programmes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several organizations are scheduled to honour the popular writer through different virtual programmes in various media platforms.
Fans and admirers are paying their tributes to the legend on their social media accounts.
Himu Paribahan, a noted fanbase group of the eminent writer, has been observing this day since 2013. Due to the COVID-19 situation this year, the group has announced nationwide three-day special arrangements, including tree plantation, special Facebook live sessions, online magazine-sketch and documentary presentations.
The organisation is known for paving their group-tribute on the writer's graveyard at Nuhash Palli every year. Due to the current situation, a two-member team is scheduled to pay floral tributes and offer fateha at the writer's graveyard at Nuhash Palli following health guidelines, according to the organisation's Facebook event plan.
Television channels will also air various programmes, highlighting the life and glorious career of the wordsmith.
Born at Kutubpur village in Mohanganj, Netrakona to Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez on November 13, 1948, Humayun Ahmed died of colorectal cancer at the age of 63 at Bellevue Hospital, New York on July 19, 2012.
In his academic life, he passed the School Certificate (1965) from Bogura Zilla School, Intermediate from Dhaka College and earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Chemistry from Dhaka University. He joined the Dhaka University as a lecturer of Chemistry and later went to North Dakota State University in the United States to pursue his PhD in Polymer Chemistry.
'Nondito Noroke' (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave him the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer. The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh till date.
In his illustrious career, Humayun Ahmed won Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award and more, for his outstanding contributions to the Bengali culture and entertainment sphere.
As a content-maker in television, Ahmed debuted with his drama 'Prothom Prohor' (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV). His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials 'Ei Shob Din Ratri', 'Bohubrihi', 'Ayomoy', 'Nokkhotrer Raat', 'Aaj Robibar' and most notably, 'Kothao Keu Nei' which created a historic hype in the nation - surrounding the lead character 'Baker Bhai', portrayed by veteran actor Asaduzzaman Noor.
Humayun Ahmed also explored success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his own novels. Two of his films, 'Syamol Chhaya' (2004) and 'Ghetuputra Komola' (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years.
He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films 'Shonkhonil Karagar' (as screenwriter), 'Aguner Poroshmoni', 'Daruchini Dwip' and 'Ghetuputra Komola'.
The iconic literateur is survived by two sons, Ninit and Nishad, with his second wife and actor-director Meher Afroze Shaon; and three daughters - Nova, Shila, Bipasha and son Nuhash Humayun with his previous wife Gultekin Ahmed.
His son Nuhash Humayun is currently working in the television industry as a content-creator.
Source: UNB