National Professor Rafiqul Islam, one of the most revered researchers on Kazi Nazrul Islam, has passed away.
The 87-year-old breathed his last around 2.30pm on Tuesday at Dhaka's Evercare Hospital , the hospitals' Duty Manager Ashraful Karim told Dhaka Tribune.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed their deepest condolences over Professor Islam’s death.
He was on life support since Thursday after being taken to the hospital four days earlier.
On October 7, he was admitted to BSMMU Hospital with abdominal pain. After the examination, the doctors confirmed that water had accumulated in his lungs, which was extracted.
He started his glorious career in academia at Dhaka University in 1957 and taught Bengali and linguistics there till 1958 and then 1961 till 2004 as Senior lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor.
Inducted as a National Professor in 2018, Prof Dr Rafiqul Islam later became head of the Bangla department at Dhaka University. Later, he became the Vice Chancellor (2007-2011) of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB).
One of the most respected Nazrul researchers in the world, Rafiqul Islam was the first Nazrul Professor at the Bangla department of Dhaka University and the first director of the Nazrul Research Centre. He has penned about 30 books, including the first book on martyred intellectuals and the first book on the centenary history of Dhaka University.
For his excellence in the field of academia and culture, Professor Dr Rafiqul Islam has received Independence Award (2012), Ekushey Padak (2001), Bangla Academy Literary Award (1994) and International Mother Language Award.
