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The body of Ahmad Rafiq has been taken to the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, where people from all walks of life are paying their last respects to the Language Movement veteran.
Following the tributes on Saturday, his coffin will be carried in a funeral procession to Ibrahim Medical College Hospital, where his remains will be donated for medical students’ training and research in line with his last wishes, bdnews24.com reported citing Ahmad Rafiq Foundation.
Rafiq passed away on Thursday while undergoing treatment at BIRDEM Hospital, aged 96.
Doctors said he had been suffering from multiple conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney failure, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, electrolyte imbalance, bedsores and a lung infection.
Born on Sept 12, 1929, in Brahmanbaria's Shahbazpur, Rafiq completed his higher secondary education at Horganga College in Munshiganj before enrolling at Dhaka University to study chemistry.
Due to residential issues at Fazlul Haque Hall, however, he transferred to Dhaka Medical College.
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.
After resurfacing in public life in late 1955, he returned to his studies and though he earned an MBBS degree, Rafiq chose to focus on writing rather than pursuing a career in medicine.
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 contributions to literature.