Eminent academic and author Zillur Rahman Siddiqui died early Tuesday at the age of 86.
As the former adviser to a caretaker government fell sick at his Banani residence around 11:45pm on Tuesday he was immediately taken to Samorita Hospital where on-duty doctors declared him dead.
Doctors at Samorita Hospital quoting family members said Zillur Rahman Siddiqui complained of severe chest pain on Tuesday night.
His body will be kept at Jahagirnagar University for an hour from 8:00am today, said his family members today. Then the body will be kept on the premises of Central Shaheed Minar from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
He will be buried after his second namaz-e-janaza at Dhaka University mosque after Zohr prayer.
The educationist honoured with Bangla Academy Award and Swadhinata Padak left behind his wife, three sons and a daughter.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury and Deputy Speaker M Fazle Rabbi Mia condoled the death of country’s noted educationist Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Adibasi Forum Sanjib Drong also in a message expressed his shock at the demise of Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui.
Dhaka University Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “There were four prominent aspects in the life of Zillur Rahman. Firstly he was an outstanding teacher, secondly he was a great educationist who wrote wonderful books on the country’s higher education, thirdly he was a poet, comtemporary to Shamsur Rahman, which he later couldn’t continue, and forthly he was a finest editor.
When he was at the Rajshahi University he edited a little mag called Purbamegh and later he did another – Dipankar – after coming to Dhaka through which he created many young poets and writers.
“As a cultural activists, he had a firm belief in 1971 Liberation War. He has a significant countribution to indoctrinating people with the values of Liberation War,” he said.
“He was a man of very strong personality who had never compromised with anyone in the question of country’s liberation, said Manzoorul Islam.
Poet Mohammad Rafiq said: “His death is a great loss for the nation as he was a pillar of our conscience.”
“He was a prominent educationist and a great writer.”
Professor Dr Farzana Islam, the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, where he worked twice as VC, said the nation had lost a guardian.
Born at Durgapur in Jhenaidah in 1928, he matriculated from Jessore Zilla School in 1945 with distinction. After that he studied at Presidency College in Kolkata.
He took his BA in 1950 and MA in 1951 in English Literature with first class both from University of Dhaka.
He studied English Literature at Worcester College of Oxford University during 1952-54.
He taught at Dhaka College and then at the University of Rajshahi from 1988 to mid-1973.
Thereafter, he taught at Jahangirnagar University and acted as vice-chancellor of the University for two consecutive terms from 1976 to 1984.
Professor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui served as an adviser to the caretaker government under justice Shabuddin Ahmed in 1990-91, being in charge of Ministry of Education.
He was honored with Alaol Shahitya Purashkar in 1977, Bangla Academy Award in 1979, Alokto Shahitya Purashkar in 1998 and Swadhinata Purashkar in 2010.
As an author Professor Siddiqui has over 30 books to his credit. He is a poet, a critic, a translator (Shakespeare and Milton in particular) an editor of, among other books, Bangla Academy English-Bengali Dictionary.
Special mention can be made of his excellent autobiography Amar Chawlar Pathey.