Language Movement veteran Ahmed Rafiq passes away

Ahmed Rafiq, a  Language Movement veteran, died of old-age complications at a hospital in the city on Thursday night. 

He was 96.

He breathed his last at about 10:12pm on Thursday at  Birdem Hospital here after doctors removed his ventilation support, a cultural activist confirmed it.

On Sept 11, Rafiq was admitted to the hospital.

He had been suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney failure, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, electrolyte imbalance and lung infections, according to doctors.

He was born on Sept 12, 1929, in Shahbazpur, Brahmanbaria.

Rafiq participated in the 1952 Language Movement, working closely with students from different campuses. He was the only student from Dhaka Medical College to have an arrest warrant issued against him in 1954.

In 1958, he published his first book, Shilpo Songskriti Jibon (Art, Culture, and Life). Rafiq received numerous accolades, including the Ekushey Padak, Bangla Academy Award, and Rabindra Sahitya Award for his outstanding contributions to literature.