Prof Zillur's burial today
He was a torchbearer in the path of our liberal democratic dispensation. He devoted his entire life to the cause of education, tirelessly serving the nation with his knowledge, wisdom and thought-provoking writings.
Prof Zillur Rahman Siddiqui breathed his last around 11:45pm on Tuesday night. A former adviser to a caretaker government, he was 86.
Today his body will be taken from Shamorita Hospital to the Jahangirnagar University and will be kept there for an hour from 8:00am and later at the Central Shaheed Minar for three hours from 11:00am for enabling people to pay their last tribute to him, Prof Siddiqui's granddaughter Abanti Shama Afroz told The Daily Star.
He will be laid to rest today at the Banani graveyard after a namaz-e-janaza at the Gulshan Central mosque following the Asr prayers, she said.
She added that there would be another namaz-e-janaza today after the Zohr prayers at the Dhaka University central mosque.
The much-revered educationist and author who was honoured with Bangla Academy Award and Swadhinata Padak, left behind his wife, three sons, a daughter and a host of admirers and well-wishers to mourn his death.
The Vice Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University for two terms fell sick at his Banani residence around 10:00pm on Tuesday, said his son Dr Shakeel Akhtar.
"He took his dinner but suddenly began feeling unwell. As we're rushing him to a hospital, we found he was not responding," he told reporters.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia expressed deep shock at his demise.
Dhaka University Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman said the nation lost a great teacher, a prominent writer and a socially conscious citizen.
"He [Zillur] will be remembered for his poems, especially for his translation of Shakespeare's sonnets, for his autobiographical narrative and also for his literary criticism," he told The Daily Star.
The nation will remember him for his books on Bengali identity and the genesis of Bangladesh, and for upholding the ideals that brought about the creation of the country, Anisuzzaman said.
"His role against autocracy, communalism and fundamentalism will be remembered forever," he added.
Prof Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury said, "Prof Siddiqui was an illustrious representative of the country's liberal democratic tradition, from which he never stepped back."
"His write-ups, poems and speeches always reflect the ideals of a secular democratic society," he said. "Voice of people like Zillur Rahman was much needed at a time when Bangladesh is heading towards extremism and religious fundamentalism."
Prof Zillur had influenced a huge number of students with his ingenious lectures, he said, adding that the academic wrote a number of wonderful poems.
Born at Durgapur in Jhenidah on February 23, 1928, Siddiqui matriculated from Jessore Zilla School in 1945. Later, he studied at Presidency College in Kolkata. He completed his BA in 1950 and MA in 1951 in English Literature from the University of Dhaka.
Later, Siddiqui pursued higher studies in English Literature at Worcester College of Oxford University from 1952-54.
After teaching at Dhaka College, he joined Rajshahi University to teach English. Later on, Siddiqui joined Jahangirnagar University where he served as vice-chancellor for two terms between 1976 and 1984.
After retiring from JU, he took over as VC of Gono Bishwabidyalay in 2000 and retired voluntarily in 2003.
Prof Siddiqui served as an adviser to the first caretaker government in 1991 and headed the ministry of education.
The educationist authored around 40 books in Bengali and English. Shobder Shimana, Amar Desh Amar Bhasha, Literature of Bangladesh and Other Essays, Hridoye Jonopod , among others, were his most famous books.
Prof Zillur translated into Bengali Shakespeare's Sonnets and John Milton's Areopagitica. He edited the acclaimed Bangla Academy English-Bengali Dictionary. He also edited the literary quarterly Purbamegh from Rajshahi.
For his contribution to literature, he was honoured with Alaol Shahitya Purashkar in 1977, Bangla Academy Award in 1979, Alokto Shahitya Purashkar in 1998 and Swadhinata Padak in 2010.
Expressing his condolences, Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus said the nation lost an eminent educationist and a guardian, and the vacuum created at his death would not be filled easily.
Different socio-cultural and political organisations also expressed their shock at his death.
Dr Kamal Hossain, president of Gonoforum, Ajoy Roy, convenor of Samprodaikota-Jongibad Birodhi Mancha, a platform against communalism and militancy, rights body Ain O Salish Kendra and Sanjeeb Drong, general secretary of Bangladesh Indigenous People Forum, among others, expressed their condolences to the bereaved family.
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