Language Movement Veteran and Rabindra Scholar Ahmad Rafique Passes Away
Language Movement veteran, poet, essayist, and eminent Rabindra scholar Ahmad Rafique has passed away. He breathed his last at 10:12 PM on Thursday while undergoing treatment in the ICU of a private hospital in Dhaka. (Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raji'un).
Born on September 12, 1929, in Brahmanbaria, Ahmad Rafique lived alone in a rented apartment in Gaushnagar, New Eskaton. He lost his wife in 2006 and had no children. Apart from his vast personal collection of books, he left behind no other significant material possessions.
Ahmad Rafique was one of the foremost historians and chroniclers of the Language Movement, having authored and edited over a hundred books. His scholarly contributions earned him the Ekushey Padak, Bangla Academy Literary Award, and numerous other national and international honors. His role in advancing Rabindra studies across both Bengals was unparalleled; he was conferred the title “Rabindratattvacharya” by the Tagore Research Institute in Kolkata.
In recent years, Rafique suffered from several health complications. His vision began deteriorating in 2019, and despite surgery, his eyesight could not be restored. By 2023, he was almost completely blind. After a fall in 2021 that left him with a broken leg, his overall health continued to decline.
Cultural and literary circles had long called for state support and advanced medical care for the revered intellectual in recognition of his lifelong contributions to literature, culture, and the Language Movement.
Before his death, Ahmad Rafique had pledged to donate his body to Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Medical College for medical research — a final act of dedication to knowledge and humanity.
