Language activist Amanul Haque laid to rest

Noted language activist and photographer Amanul Haque was laid to rest at Miprur Intellectuals` Graveyard Thursday evening.

Earlier, his namaj-e-janaza was held at Dhaka University Central Mosque after Asr prayers. Hundreds of relatives, friends and well-wishers attended the namaj-e-janaza.

His body  was also kept at the Central Shaheed Minar premises in the capital from 3pm to 4pm for paying last respect to the noted language activist.

Amanul Haque breathed his last at about 9.15pm on Wednesday at Dhaka Central Hospital, Dhanmondi in the capital. He was 87.

The physical condition of Amanul Haque deteriorated when he was undergoing treatment at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University over the last few days.

Relatives of the late language activist told risingbd24.com that being advised by the doctors at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, they shifted him to Central Hospital where he was kept under life support. But he died immediately after being shifted there. He had been suffering from lung-related ailments.

Amanul Haque was born on November 6 of 1925 at Shahjadpur in Monirampur of Sirajganj district. He had a very close relation with legendary Indian film-maker Satyajit Roy. Amanul worked for many of Roy`s great films including `Panther Panchali` as a still photographer. He had so close relationship with Roy and his family members that Roy used to write letters to Amanul when the latter had returned to Dhaka from Kolkata.

Noted photographer Amanul Haque received Ekushey Padak in 2011 for his outstanding contributions to the Language Movement of 1952. He used to live in a flat of Aziz Co-operative Housing Society at Shahbagh in the capital. Amanul was a bachelor till his death.

As a freelance photographer, he took many photographs of the language movement of 1952. He took the photograph of bullet-ridden language martyr Rafique on 21st February of 1952. In fact, the entire world came to know about what happened on the 21st February of 1952 in Dhaka through his rare photographs.

Later, the Pakistani government had issed a warrant to arrest Amanul, but he fled to Kolkata and met with Satyajit Roy there. Seeing the photographs of Amanul, Satyajit Roy became so surprised that he had instantly invited him to work for his filsm. He then started working with Roy for his films.