Legendary folk singer Fakir Alamgir has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the United Hospital in the capital on Thursday night after contracting Covid-19.
The folk icon has been suffering from fever for the last three days and was taken to a local hospital after his condition worsened, said his wife Suraiya Alamgir.
Alamgir's lungs are 25% infected, she said before asking fans, admirers, and well-wishers to pray for him.
Alamgir stepped into the music arena in 1966 and played a vital role during the mass upsurge of 1969 as a member of the ‘Kranti Shilpi Gosthi’ and ‘Gana Shilpi Gosthi’.
During the 1971 Liberation War, he joined the ‘Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra’ and performed frequently to inspire freedom fighters.
After independence, Alamgir played a pivotal role in the development of Bengali pop music alongside Ferdous Wahid, Azam Khan, Pilu Momtaz and others by combining indigenous tunes with western music.
In his illustrious career, several of his songs including "O Sokhina", "Shantahar", "Nelson Mandela", "Naam Tar Chhilo John Henry", "Banglar Comrade Bondhu" became very popular and achieved monumental success.
A Masters' graduate of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University, Fakir Alamgir has also been a writer. He has published several books including 'Gono Sangeet er Oteet O Bortoman', 'Muktijuddher Smriti o Bijoyer Gaan', 'Amar Kotha', 'Jara Achhen Hridoypotey' and more.
Alamgir is the founder of the cultural organization 'Wrishiz Shilpi Gosthi' in 1976. He has also served as the president of Gono Sangeet Shamanya Parishad (GSSP).
The government awarded the Ekushey Padak to Fakir Alamgir in 1999 for his significant contribution to music.
