The 13th death anniversary of eminent playwright, novelist, lyricist and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed is being observed across the country on Saturday through various commemorative programmes.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern Bengali literature, Humayun Ahmed passed away on July 19, 2012, at the age of 63, after battling colorectal cancer at Bellevue Hospital in New York, USA.
To mark the day, his family and several cultural organisations have arranged a series of programmes in different parts of the country including at Nuhash Palli in Gazipur.
As in previous years, the writer’s family members, fans, poets, writers and dramatists gathered at the ‘Lichutola’ in Nuhash Palli at 11 am on Saturday to pay tribute by placing floral wreaths at his grave.
His widow Meher Afroz Shaon, along with their sons Ninit and Nishad Humayun, visited the grave early in the morning and offered prayers.
Well-wishers and admirers also joined them to seek eternal peace for the departed soul.
A Qurankhwani and milad mahfil were also organised with the participation of students from a local madrasa.
Meher Afroz Shaon shared her thoughts about the author’s legacy, saying, “Very soon, we will see Humayun Ahmed’s books published by Penguin Publications. His novels are being translated into different languages, which I believe is a big achievement. May his works reach readers around the world.”
Fans paid tribute by dressing as his iconic characters—wearing yellow panjabis as ‘Himu’ and blue sarees representing ‘Rupa’—to express their love and admiration for the late literary genius.
Apart from the family observances, various organisations and platforms are commemorating the day with diverse events, and fans are sharing emotional tributes on social media.
Television channels and radio stations are also broadcasting special programmes reflecting on the life, works and timeless legacy of the legendary author.
Born on November 13, 1948, in Kutubpur village of Mohanganj in Netrakona, Humayun Ahmed was the son of Foyzur Rahman Ahmed and Ayesha Foyez. He completed his SSC from Bogura Zilla School and HSC from Dhaka College.
He earned both his BSc and MSc in Chemistry from Dhaka University and joined its Chemistry Department as a lecturer. He later pursued a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from North Dakota State University in the US.
'Nondito Noroke' (1972) was Humayun Ahmed's debut novel, which gave Humayun the breakthrough and propelled his career as a writer.
The Ekushey Padak winner writer wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books, all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh to date.
In his illustrious career, Humayun Ahmed won Bangla Academy Award, Lekhak Shibir Award, Shishu Academy Award, Michael Madhusudan Padak, Bachsas Award, and more for his outstanding contributions to the Bengali culture and entertainment sphere.
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He debuted with his drama 'Prothom Prohor' (1983) for Bangladesh Television (BTV). His successful journey in television continued with popular drama serials 'Ei Shob Din Ratri', 'Bohubrihi', 'Ayomoy', 'Nokkhotrer Raat', 'Aaj Robibar' and most notably, 'Kothao Keu Nei' which created a historic hype in the nation.
Humayun Ahmed also explored success as a filmmaker in the early 1990s and went on to make a total of eight films in his filmmaking career, each based on his novels. Two of his films, 'Syamol Chhaya' (2004) and 'Ghetuputra Komola' (2012) were the official Bangladeshi submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in their respective years.
He received seven Bangladesh National Film Awards in different categories for the films 'Shonkhonil Karagar' (as screenwriter), 'Aguner Poroshmoni', 'Daruchini Dwip' and 'Ghetuputra Komola'.
He is survived by his wife Meher Afroz Shaon and their two sons Ninit and Nishad; as well as son Nuhash Humayun who has also established himself as a filmmaker, and daughters Nova, Shila and Bipasha from his first marriage to Gultekin Ahmed.