Adieus to the legends, in loving memories of 2021

All eminent and legendary figures that Bangladesh has lost throughout this year.

    Dhaka, Dec 28 :  As Rabindranath Tagore once said “Let life be beautiful like summer flowers and death like autumn leaves” – the time of the year back once again, as it always goes back and forth every year when the nation remembers those who departed from their families and admirers to answer the ultimate call. 

Sadly, due to several reasons and especially the still raging Covid-19 pandemic, many of the passionate and respected individuals in the entertainment and cultural arena of Bangladesh bade their final adieus to the world during the past twelve months in 2021. 

These legendary figures have dedicated their eventful lives to the betterment of Bangladeshi culture; and because of their lifelong contributions, today Bangladesh is well-known and respected among the global community of culture and entertainment, in the genres of Literature, Art, Cinema, Television, Theatre and Music. 

This article fondly remembers all eminent and legendary figures that Bangladesh has lost throughout this year, categorized based on their individual and respective genres.

Literature

The rueful adieus started with the departure of the Ekushey Padak winning legendary novelist Rabeya Khatun, who passed away on January 3 at the age of 85 due to old-age complications.  

Bangla Academy, the oldest and dedicated organization promoting Bengali literature in the country, has lost many of its guardian angels this year including two of its immediate past chairmen, Professor Shamsuzzaman Khan (81) who passed away on April 14 after his failed battle with Covid-19, and National Professor and renowned Nazrul researcher Rafiqul Islam (87) on November 30. Meanwhile, the immediate past Director General Habibullah Sirajee (72) also left the world on May 24.

Ekushey Padak winner eminent Bangladeshi short-story writer and novelist Hasan Azizul Huq passed away on November 15, at the age of 82. Meanwhile, this year’s Ekushey Padak conferred fiction writer Bulbul Chowdhury passed away on August 29. Sheikh Abdul Hakim, popularly known as the ghostwriter of superhit spy thriller series 'Masud Rana', breathed his last at the age of 75 on August 29 after losing his long battle with bronchitis. Renowned Bangladeshi publisher and founder of the University Press Limited Mohiuddin Ahmed left the earth on June 22. 

Cinema

Ekushey Padak and National Film Award-winning legendary Bangladeshi actor ATM Shamsuzzaman passed away on February 20 this year at the age of 79, while another silver screen legend and Member of Parliament Sarah Begum Kabori breathed her last on April 17 after losing her battle with COVID-19 at the age of 70. Another actor from Bangladeshi’s ‘Golden Era’ of cinema Mesbahuddin Ahmed, popularly known by his stage name Wasim, passed away the very next day. The former ‘Mr East Pakistan’ breathed his last at the age of 74 due to old age complications, while veteran director Shafiqur Rahman, known for his famous movie “Dhaka 86,” died on September 2 at the age of 70, reports UNB.