Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra artiste Mrinal Bhattacharya has passed away while undergoing treatment at Chittagong Maa-O-Shishu Hospital. He was 74.
He has left behind his wife and son, relatives and a host of admirers to mourn his death.
Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, Dr Fahim Reza, assistant director of Chittagong Maa-O-Shishu Hospital said that he died early Wednesday.
“He was admitted to the hospital on June 18. He was suffering from various old-age complications. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital where he breathed his last,” said Dr Reza.
He was tested for Covid-19 and his test results returned negative while he was undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Mrinal Bhattacharya's funeral was held at his ancestral village at Sitakunda upazlia's Mahadevpur area on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier around 12pm, he was accorded state honours at JMS Sen Hall in the city.
A pall of gloom descended on the cultural arena of the port city soon after his death news spread.
The musician also served as the president of Nazrul Shilpi Sangstha and Arya Sangeet Bidyapith.
Various cultural platforms, including Chittagong Shilpakala Academy and Udichi Shilpigoshthi, have mourned the death of the veteran artiste.
Mrinal joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra as an artiste during the Liberation War in 1971.
Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra, the radio station run by the Bangladesh government in exile, kept the spirit of the nation alive during the nine months of the Liberation War of 1971.
