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Celebrated actor and comedian Abdus Samad, popularly known as Tele Samad, has died at the age of 74.
The actor, who enthralled audiences with his unique brand of comedy, passed away during treatment at the Square Hospital on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.
He was given the moniker, which he never changed, after swapping a television career for the silver screen.
Samad had been battling health issues for a while. He was admitted to Square Hospital on Friday after falling gravely ill.
He was declared dead by doctors around 1:30pm on Saturday, an official at the hospital said.
Tele Samad had been admitted to the same hospital in December with a chest infection. He was treated in the Intensive Care Unit for a few days on that occasion.
Prior to that, he underwent a bypass surgery in the US in 2017. After his condition became stable, he returned to Bangladesh on Sept 27, 2017. But he was twice admitted to Square Hospital in October and again in November, 2017.
After finding out about his health, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed the actor a savings certificate worth Tk 2 million for his treatment.
Born in Munshiganj's Noagaon, Samad grew up in a cultural sphere and followed in the footsteps of his elder brother, artist Abdul Hai, by enrolling into Dhaka University's Fine Arts Department.
He made his debut on the big screen in the film 'Kar Bou'. Samad acted in over 600 films in the last four decades. He made his last appearance in the 2015 film 'Zero Degree'.
Despite being known for his comedic talents, Samad has also performed as a singer in over 40 films. He composed the music for the film 'Mona Pagla'.