Language movement veteran Ahmad Rafique passes away at 94

Ahmad Rafique, noted language movement activist, poet, essayist and renowned Rabindra researcher, has passed away. He was 94.

He breathed his last at 10:12 PM on Thursday at ICU of BIRDEM Hospital in Dhaka. (Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un)

His longtime driver Md. Russel confirmed the news of his death.

Doctors at BIRDEM Hospital said Rafique suffered a cardiac arrest just seven minutes before he was officially declared dead.

Ahmad Rafique was a towering figure in country’s intellectual and cultural landscape, best known for his pivotal role in 1952 Language Movement and his lifelong contribution to Rabindranath Tagore studies.