Atiqul Haque Chowdhury laid to rest
People from all walks of life pay their last respect to Atiqul Haque Chowdhury at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital yesterday. Photo: Star
Amid love and grief, people from all walks of life yesterday bade a final goodbye to veteran eminent playwright and theatre personality Atiqul Haque Chowdhury.
The media personality was laid to rest at Mirpur intellectuals' graveyard yesterday afternoon. Earlier, his body was kept at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital for nearly one and a half hours from 11:00am during which his colleagues, grief-stricken relatives, TV and social as well as cultural personalities paid their last respect.
Sammilita Sangskritik Jote made arrangements for a public viewing of Chowdhury's body at the Shaheed Minar.
On Chowdhury's life and contributions, Golam Kuddus, vice president of Sammilita Sanskritik Jote, said, “He produced many talented actors and actresses. His contributions to Bangladesh Television and Radio Bangladesh are enormous. His chequered career in media includes significant roles in several major organisations.”
Ashfaqur Rahman Khan, retired deputy director general of Bangladesh Betar, stated, “Chowdhury was a symbol of humanism and secularism. He was the symbol of Bengali nationalism. His plays carry profound messages.”
Prof Afsar Ahmed, pro-vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, said, “He was a very well known personality in our drama and media field. He was associated with the Department of Drama and Dramatics for over eleven years. He started his career as a producer.”
“Atiq bhai was optimistic and confident,” he added.
Noted educationalist Prof Emeritus Dr Anisuzzaman said, “I met him in 1960s in the then Radio Pakistan. He was very congenial and a great conversationalist. He wrote many TV plays which reflected his patriotic sentiments, private and family life. He had this capability to quickly become the centre of attention at social and cultural gatherings but above all, he was a rare human being.”
Ramendu Majumdar, president of International Theatre Institute, said, “He introduced different dimensions to TV dramas. During his lifetime, he wrote 50 plays and produced over 300 TV plays. A number of quality radio plays were also written and directed by him.”
Chowdhury's first namaz-e-janaza was held on the premises of Ekushey TV around 10:30am while the second took place after Zohr prayers at the Dhaka University mosque. His third namaz-e-janaza was held at Bangladesh Television complex in Rampura.
Chowdhury breathed his last at a hospital in the capital on Monday.
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