Syed Manzoorul Islam, Emeritus Professor of the English department at Dhaka University, as well as a renowned novelist and essayist, has passed away at the age of 74 (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un).

He died at 5:00 PM on Friday while undergoing treatment at LabAid Hospital in Dhaka. Syed Manzoorul had fallen ill on October 3 while traveling to the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh in Dhanmondi. With the help of a driver, he was taken to a nearby hospital, and later admitted to LabAid Hospital. Doctors reported that he had suffered a massive heart attack, after which a stent was placed in his heart.

His condition worsened on Saturday, with dropping oxygen levels and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Life support was administered on Sunday evening. After about 48 hours on life support, his condition showed some improvement, but it later deteriorated again. Doctors removed life support on Friday evening, and he was declared dead.

Syed Manzoorul Islam’s body will be kept at BARDEM mortuary on Friday. His family, friends, and well-wishers have announced that his body will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar for public homage on Saturday around 11:00 AM. The funeral prayer will be held at the Dhaka University Central Mosque after Zuhr, followed by burial at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard.

Syed Manzoorul Islam was widely respected for his contributions to literature, education, and cultural discourse in Bangladesh.

Born on 18 January 1951 in Sylhet, Syed Manzoorul Islam was the son of Syed Amirul Islam and Rabeya Khatun. He studied at Sylhet Government Pilot High School and MC College before completing his BA and MA in English at Dhaka University. He later earned a PhD in 1981 from Queen’s University, Canada.

Manzoorul went on to teach at the Department of English, Dhaka University, where he became one of the country’s most respected academics. He was eventually named Emeritus Professor, a recognition of his lifelong contribution to education and scholarship.

Alongside his academic career, Syed Manzoorul Islam was a prolific fiction writer, essayist, and critic. His literary criticism covered figures such as Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Sudhindranath Dutta, Samar Sen, and Shamsur Rahman.

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’. His fiction often explored the intersections of history, politics, and the human condition, earning him a wide readership.

He received the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1996 and the Ekushey Padak in 2018 for his outstanding contributions to Bangla literature.

Beyond the classroom and the page, Manzoorul played a vital role in Bangladesh’s cultural life. In 2018, he was elected president of PEN Bangladesh, the writers’ association that advocates for freedom of expression.

He was also closely associated with publishing and translation initiatives that helped bring Bangladeshi literature to international audiences.

Sun News/ra

Prof. Syed Manzoorul Islam Dhaka University

Copyright © Sunnews24x7

Tweet

DU, Bijoy Sarani stations open