The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Noted playwright, actor, director and filmmaker Abdullah Al Mamun died at 11:25am at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the BIRDEM Hospital in the city yesterday after prolonged illness. He was 66.

He had been suffering from diabetes, kidney complaints and heart disease since long. He was admitted to Square Hospital before being moved to the BIRDEM Hospital with his condition getting worse. He was admitted to the Square Hospital on July 10 after suffering brain haemorrhage. He underwent a brain surgery on July 13. A medical board was formed on that day.

The body of Abdullah Al Mamun is being kept at the BIRDEM mortuary. He will be buried at Banani graveyard today after Jumma prayers, said his son Tonmoy.

His body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar premises today from 9:00am to 11:00am for people to pay their last respect to the great theatre activist, he said.

Abdullah Al Mamun served as Director General of Bangladesh Television (BTV) for sometime and earlier headed the programme team as Deputy Director General.

The theatre personality left three daughters and one son to mourn his death. His wife Farida Khatun died in 1984.

His acclaimed play scripts include 'Ekhono Kritodash,' 'Tomrai,' 'Kokilara' and 'Meraj Fakirer Maa.' He also directed movies like 'Ekhoni Somoy,' 'Sareng Bou' and 'Dui Jibon.'

Hundreds of co-artistes, directors, drama activists, fans and well-wishers thronged the hospital on the news of his death. Some of his co-artists were reeling in the loss.

Theatre personalities including Ramendu Majumder, Ferdousi Majumder, Mamunur Rashid, Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu, Tariq Anam, Nima Rahman, Tropa Majumder, film actor Razzak, film director Chashi Nazrul Islam, actor and director Azad Abul Kalam, among many others, gathered to pay their last tribute to the artiste.

Meanwhile different socio-cultural organisations and political parties including CPB, Gono Forum, Chhatra Union, theatre group 'Bahubachan,' 'Centre for Asian Theatre (CAT) and others gave separate condolence messages on his death.

Abdullah Al Mamun directed a good number of popular television drama serials including 'Sangshaptak,' 'Gharoya,' 'Pathor Somoy,' 'Joyar Bhata,' 'Baba,' 'Shirshobindu,' 'Uttaradhikar,' 'Shesh Bikeler Meye,' 'Ami Tumi Se,' 'Ek Janame' and 'Ekjon Babar Ali.'

Immediately before death Mamun was acting in the film 'Doria Parer Doulati' that he was also directing. He wrote 25 dramas and seven novels, an autobiography 'Amar Ami' and a travelogue 'Manhattan.'

Mamun founded drama group 'Theatre (Bailey Road)' and was an adviser to quarterly magazine 'Theatre.' He was born in Jamalpur on July 13, 1942. He completed his masters in history from Dhaka University. He received prestigious awards 'Ekushey Padak,' 'Bangla Academy Award,' '1st National Television Award,' 'National Film Award,' 'Munir Chowdhury Honorary Award' and 'Agrani Bank Literature Award.'