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Renowned poet Shamsur Rahman passed away Thursday evening in the city's BSMMU hospital sending a shock wave through the country, reports UNB.
The curtain dropped on a checkered career of the celebrated poet at 6:35pm, as the attending doctors removed his life-support system "with the consent of his family", said the medical sources.
The poet, admitted to the hospital on August 6 with multiple complexities, breathed his last after spending 12 days in deep coma. He was 77.
"As the news broke, mourners in large numbers thronged the hospital to have a last glimpse of their beloved poet, amid a pall of gloom," said a report.
Shamsur Rahman was born in Dhaka in 1929 and was fourth of the thirteen children of his parents. He studied at Pogos School and later at Dhaka College. He started writing poems after graduating from Dhaka College at the age of eighteen.
The poet then studied at the Department of English under the University of Dhaka. He had a long career as a journalist and was the former editor of a national daily, 'Dainik Bangla'.
Shamsur Rahman was indisputably the greatest poet of Bangladesh, with more than sixty books of poems to his credit.
He won numerous awards, including Bangla Academy Award (1969), Ekushey Padak (1977), and Swadhinata Award (1991).
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and President of Awami League Sheikh Hasina expressed her profound shock at the death of the eminent poet.
"His death caused an irreparable loss to the Bengali literature, culture and journalism," she said in a message of condolence.
Hasina prayed for salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy for members of the bereaved family.
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