Educationist Syed Manzoorul Islam passes away

Syed Manzoorul Islam, Emeritus Professor of Dhaka University’s English Department, acclaimed fiction writer, and essayist, has passed away on Friday.

He died at 5:00 pm while receiving treatment at LabAid Hospital in Dhaka.

Mazharul Islam, CEO of Anyaprakash, confirmed the news.

According to Mazharul, Syed Manzoorul’s condition worsened on Friday morning, leading to his placement on life support. Doctors pronounced him deceased around 5 pm.

His body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar on Saturday at 11:00 am for public homage, as arranged by the National Poetry Council.

Following the Zohr prayer, his namaz-e-janaza will be held at Dhaka University Mosque, and he will be laid to rest at Mirpur Intellectual Graveyard. His body is currently at BIRDEM morgue.

On Friday, Syed Manzoorul fell ill while travelling to the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh in Dhanmondi.

The driver, with assistance, rushed him to a nearby hospital, after which he was transferred to LabAid Hospital.

Doctors diagnosed a massive heart attack.

He underwent surgery on Saturday, during which two stents were placed. His condition remained critical, and he was placed on life support again after a brief improvement. Despite efforts, he passed away on Friday evening.

Born on January 18, 1951, in Sylhet, Syed Manzoorul earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Dhaka University’s English Department. He later obtained a PhD from Queen’s University, Canada, for his research on “The Influence of Emanuel Swedenborg’s Philosophy on Yeats’ Poetry.”

A distinguished academic, he served as a professor in Dhaka University’s English Department for many years and was widely respected as a writer, translator, and essayist.