Final respects paid to Syed Abul Maksud

Earlier in the day, the second namaz-e-janaza of the noted journalist was held at the National Press Club.

Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque paid homage to the late author on behalf of the Awami League.

Other organizations, including Daily Prothom Alo, Daily Samakal, Ganasanghati Andolon, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Students' Union and Adivasi Forum, followed suit to pay their final respects to Maksud.

Maksud was scheduled to be buried at Azimpur Graveyard following the third namaz-e-janaza at the Dhaka University Central Mosque after Asr prayers.

The 74-year-old fell ill and fainted at home and was taken to Square Hospital Ltd around 7:15pm on Tuesday, where doctors pronounced him dead.

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter and a host of well-wishers.

His first namaz-e-janaza was held at Masjid-Ut-Taqwa in Dhanmondi.

President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina mourned his death and offered their deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

Life and legacy

Syed Abul Maksud was born on October 23, 1946 in Elachipur village under Shibaloy upazila in Manikganj.

Beginning his career as a journalist at the weekly Nobojug in 1964, Syed Abul Maksud received the Bangla Academy Award in 1995 for his contributions to Bangla literature.

A noted human rights activist, Maksud wrote over 40 books in his lifetime.

He wrote at least two books each on Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Syed Waliullah.

His notable works include “Juddho O Manusher Murkhota” (1988), “Gandhi, Nehru and Noakhali” (2008), “Dhakae Buddhadeb Basu” (2011), and “Rabindranather Dharmatatwa O Darshan” (2012).

He joined the national news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), in 1971 and left the editorial section of the agency in 2008.

Maksud was the founding editor of the daily Suprabhat Bangladesh, published from Chittagong.

His observations on various social, political, cultural and economic issues at different times had appeared through his columns published in several newspapers.

Author Anisul Hoque, in a column published on January 7, 2016, stated that Syed Abul Maksud had started wearing two pieces of white cloth without stitches as a protest against the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, under the false assumption of Iraq storing weapons of mass destruction.

Till his death, he kept up his protest.