The 14th death anniversary of eminent playwright, novelist and filmmaker Humayun Ahmed is being observed across the country on Sunday 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.
Various organisations and platforms are commemorating the day with diverse events, and fans are sharing emotional tributes on social media.
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.
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'.