Zia Hyder critically ill
Renowned and pioneering figure in the country's theatre and former teacher of theatre at Chittagong University Prof Zia Hyder has been fighting for life at a city hospital. He has been suffering from Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma for four months.
Hyder, founder president of theatre troupe Nagorik Natyasampradaya, was admitted to City Heart Hospital at Lalmatia on August 26 for chemotherapy. But doctors said his condition has deteriorated because of old age complications.
Cancer specialist Dr Zafar Mohammad Masud told The Daily Star that Prof Hyder has been under his supervision since he was diagnosed with lymphoma. "But he is critically ill at this moment because of old age complications," he said.
"I am worried about Prof Hyder's health as the 70-year-old man is not in a condition to stand the treatment for cancer. However, we are trying to give him the best possible treatment," Dr Masud added.
Prof Zia Hyder has made remarkable contributions to the neo-theatre movement in Bangladesh shortly after the country's independence. He initiated the foundation of Nagorik Natyasampradaya in 1968. He was its president until September 1982.
Hyder has directed popular plays like "Elebele", which received an award for the best production from Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 1978. He was awarded the Shaheed Munier Chowdhury Award last year for his contribution to theatre.
He has also written and translated a few plays.
It was because of Prof Hyder's hard work and determination that theatre was introduced as an academic subject at the university level in Bangladesh.
Prof Hyder has also penned several books on theatre like "Theatre-er Katha", "Stanislavskir Obhinoy Tatwa" and "Natyakalay Bibhinya Ism O Epic Theatre", many of which are used as references by the theatre departments at the country's public universities and Rabindrabharati University in West Bengal, India.
Hyder joined the Department of Fine Arts of Chittagong University as an assistant professor in 1970 when theatre was introduced there at the MA level.
In a press release, Zia Hyder's brother Rashid Hyder yesterday urged all to pray for him.
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