Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep shock and sorrow  at the death of one of the members of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kedra, and  prominent Gono Sangeet artist of the country Fakir Alamgir. Read: Fakir Alamgir on life support In a condolence message shortly after news broke of the singer's death, she said that the role of Fakir Alamgir will always be remembered for his contribution in the musical arena of the country, especially his role in popularisong Gono Sangeet. Read: Folk legend Fakir Alamgir leaves the stage for the last time She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen , Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also released statements to mourn an iconic figure's passing. Momen, in a message, expressed deep shock at the death of freedom fighter and singer Fakir Alamgir. "Fakir Alamgir was a shining star of the country's cultural arena. People will remember his contributions forever," he said. State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also expressed deep shock at the death of singer Fakir Alamgir.  He conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family members and sought salvation of the departed soul. Fakir Alamgir, whose songs became entwined in the everyday lives of his countrymen, lost his battle with the coronavirus on Friday night, passing away in the capital's United Hospital after his condition deteriorated in the evening. The beloved singer breathed his last at 10:56pm in the hospital's ICU, where he was receiving treatment for over a week. He was 71.   

Pre-eminent folk singer and Ekushey Padak-awardee Fakir Alamgir, whose songs became entwined in the everyday lives of his countrymen, lost his battle with the coronavirus on Friday night, passing away in the capital's United Hospital after his condition deteriorated in the evening. The beloved singer breathed his last at 10:56pm in the hospital's ICU, where he was receiving treatment for over a week. He was 71.  Mashuque Alamgir Rajeeb, son of Fakir Alamgir, confirmed the death to UNB. Also read: Fakir Alamgir on life support The folk legend was put on life support last Sunday, having been admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital since the early hours of the previous Friday. But his condition took an irrevocable turn for the worse today following a heart attack in the evening. Details regarding his last rites are expected to be revealed in due course by his family. Born on a famous and most fitting date (February 21, 1950 - pre-empting the Language Movement by a couple of years) in a village called Kalamridha in Bhanga of Faridpur, Fakir Alamgir stepped into the music arena in 1966.   Not afraid to use his platform as an artist, he played a vital role during the mass uprising of 1969 as a member of the Kranti Shilpi Gosthi and Gana Shilpi Gosthi. During the 1971 Liberation War, he crossed the border and joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and performed frequently to inspire freedom fighters. In independent Bangladesh, Alamgir played a pivotal role in the development of Bengali pop music alongside Ferdous Wahid, Azam Khan, Pilu Momtaz and others who led a generation of artists in shedding conventions to combine elements of indigenous music with contemporary western imports. In his illustrious career, several of his songs including "O Sokhina", "Shantahar", "Nelson Mandela", "Naam Tar Chhilo John Henry", "Banglar Comrade Bondhu", to name just a few, became very popular and achieved monumental success. They allowed him to attain ubiquitous name-recognition, and even enjoy an almost direct, one-to-one relationship with his fanbase. Arguably no other Bangladeshi male artist would be as instantly recognisable in almost any corner of the country as Fakir Alamgir, with his unruly, flowing shock of hair and Seventies moustache. A Master's graduate of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism in Dhaka University, Fakir Alamgir was also a keen writer and researcher. He published several books including 'Gono Sangeet er Oteet O Bortoman', 'Muktijuddher Smriti o Bijoyer Gaan', 'Amar Kotha', 'Jara Achhen Hridoypotey' and more. He was also the founder of the cultural organization 'Wrishiz Shilpi Gosthi' in 1976, and served as the president of Gono Sangeet Shamanya Parishad (GSSP). The government conferred the Ekushey Padak on Fakir Alamgir in 1999, for his significant contribution to music, and thereby the cultural arena of Bangladesh. Fakir Alamgir is survived by his wife and two sons, and leaves behind a sea of admirers to mourn the passing of one who spoke directly to their hearts.

Legendary folk singer Fakir Alamgir was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the United Hospital in the capital on Thursday night  after contracting Covid-19. The folk icon has been suffering from fever for the last three days and was taken to a local hospital after his condition worsened, said his wife Suraiya Alamgir. Read:Mushfiq’s parents test positive for Covid-19 She said Alamgir's lungs are 25 percent infected and sought dua from his fans, admirers and well-wishers. Fakir Alamgir stepped into the music arena in 1966 and played a vital role during the mass upsurge of 1969 as a member of the Kranti Shilpi Gosthi and Gana Shilpi Gosthi. During the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, he joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and performed frequently to inspire freedom fighters. After the independence of the country, Alamgir played a pivotal role in the development of Bengali pop music alongside Ferdous Wahid, Azam Khan, Pilu Momtaz and others by combining indigenous tunes with western music. Read: Khaled Mahmud tests positive for Covid-19 In his illustrious career, several of his songs including "O Sokhina", "Shantahar", "Nelson Mandela", "Naam Tar Chhilo John Henry", "Banglar Comrade Bondhu" became very popular and achieved monumental success. A Masters' graduate of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University, Fakir Alamgir has also been a writer. He has published several books including 'Gono Sangeet er Oteet O Bortoman', 'Muktijuddher Smriti o Bijoyer Gaan', 'Amar Kotha', 'Jara Achhen Hridoypotey' and more. Read: Abul Hayat tests positive for Covid-19 Alamgir is the founder of the cultural organization 'Wrishiz Shilpi Gosthi' in 1976. He has also served as the president of Gono Sangeet Shamanya Parishad (GSSP). The government awarded the Ekushey Padak to Fakir Alamgir in 1999 for his significant contribution to music.