Dhaka, Aug 18 (V7N) – Eminent language activist and writer Ahmed Rafiq has been admitted to a private hospital in the capital after his health deteriorated late Sunday night (August 17). The 98-year-old Ekushey Padak-winning writer is currently undergoing treatment at the Coronary Care Unit (CCU).

Doctors said his blood pressure and heart rate are elevated, and he is suffering from weakness, likely caused by electrolyte imbalance. Despite receiving treatment at another hospital for seven days earlier, his condition had shown little improvement.

According to his caretaker, Rafiq has been unwell for several days. Since the passing of his wife in 2006, the childless language veteran has lived at his Eskaton residence in Dhaka with only his caretaker and driver.

Widely regarded as one of the foremost Rabindranath Tagore researchers in Bangladesh, Ahmed Rafiq has made significant contributions to literature and cultural studies. His first essay collection, Shilp Sanskriti Jiban, was published in 1958, and since then, he has dedicated his life to writing.

During the Language Movement of 1952, Rafiq—then a third-year student at Dhaka Medical College—played an active role, maintaining contact with students at Fazlul Haque Hall, Dhaka Hall, and Mitford. He participated regularly in meetings and processions and was the only protesting student of Dhaka Medical College against whom an arrest warrant was issued in 1954.

Born on September 12, 1929, in Brahmanbaria, Ahmed Rafiq later obtained his MBBS degree but chose not to pursue a medical career. Instead, he established himself as a leading essayist and researcher.

Over his long career, he has been honored with numerous awards, including the Ekushey Padak, Bangla Academy Award, and the title of Rabindra Tavacharya.

END/SMA/AJ