The body of eminent artist Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, who breathed his last at LabAid Hospital in Dhaka on Sunday, was taken to the Kalibari crematory in Sabujbagh on Monday after being kept at the Central Shaheed Minar till 12:45pm for legions of his admirers to pay their last respects.
At around 11:30am, Chowdhury's body was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar, where many prominent artists and cultural personalities came for a last glimpse of the Ekushey Padak-winning artist.
Actor and playwright Ramendu Majumdar, artists Hashem Khan, Golam Mostafa, Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, the presidents and general secretaries of many cultural organizations, Dhaka University unit Bangladesh Chhatra League General Secretary Saddam Hussain, among many others, were present, reports UNB.
Surjit Roy Chowdhury, son of Samarjit Roy Chowdhury, said: "He was not only a teacher but also a father. My father was my friend. My father was the solution to every problem of mine. My father even prayed for me for the last time with his last breath."
Prior to reaching the Shaheed Minar, Chowdhury's body was taken to his workplace of nearly six decades, the Charukola or Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University, for colleagues, students and friends to pay their tributes at around 10am.
Students, teachers, and the dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, DU Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, along with members of other administrative bodies of the university, and Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs KM Khalid paid their tributes to Prof Samarjit Roy Chowdhury at DU.
Vice Chancellor Akhtaruzzaman said: "With the death of Prof Samarjit Roy, the nation has lost a prominent artist. He was one of the greatest and most famous artists of the country."
Prof Nisar Hossain, dean of the faculty of Fine Arts, said: "Prof Samarjit Roy spent his entire life with this faculty as we were able to get him as honorary professor after his retirement from the faculty. His death is a great loss for the nation, and the Faculty of Fine Arts has lost an irreplaceable resource with his death."
Samarjit Roy Chowdhury earned his graphic design degree from the then-Government Art Institute of Dhaka University in 1960, following which he commenced his career as a faculty member.
He was awarded the Ekushey Padak in 2014 for his outstanding contributions to the arts.