Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam on life support

Earlier on Friday, Professor Islam was admitted to the hospital after falling ill. Following medical tests, doctors confirmed that he had suffered a massive heart attack.

Two stents were subsequently placed in his arteries to clear blockages, and he had been under close observation since the procedure.

Mazharul Islam, Chief Executive Officer of publishing house Anyaprokash, provided his latest physical update to UNB on Sunday night, saying: “Although his condition remained stable on the first day after surgery, it started deteriorating since Saturday afternoon as his oxygen level dropped and fluid accumulated in his lungs. When the situation worsened, he was placed on life support around 6pm on Sunday."

"We are waiting for a miracle. Please keep him in your prayers. His wife is currently in the USA with their only son; she is on her way back to Bangladesh and is expected to arrive on Tuesday morning,” he added.

Mazharul further said, “Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam became ill while he was on his way to the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) on Friday. The driver, with the help of a passerby, took him to a nearby hospital in Mohammadpur. Upon hearing the news, we went there and later shifted him to LabAid Hospital.”

Born on January 18, 1951, in Sylhet, Syed Manzoorul Islam is the son of Syed Amirul Islam and Rabeya Khatun. He completed his Secondary School Certificate from Sylhet Government Pilot High School in 1966 and his Higher Secondary Certificate from MC College, Sylhet and later earned his BA and MA in English from Dhaka University.

In 1981, he obtained his PhD from Queen’s University in Canada, focusing on the influence of Emanuel Swedenborg’s philosophy on the poetry of WB Yeats. A retired professor of the Department of English at Dhaka University, where he was acclaimed as one of the department's most popular teachers, he later joined the private University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).

Among his notable works are Thaka Na Thakar Golpo, Kaanch Vanga Rater Golpo, Andhakar o Alo Dekhar Golpo, Adhkhana Manushyo, Dinratriguli, Ajgubi Rat, Tin Porber Jibon, and Nandantattwa.

Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1996 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to Bangla literature, reports UNB.