Sad news, Dr Azad is no longer with us

Dear friends,

I have received a sad news, from Dr Ajoy Roy via muktomona that Dr Azad is no more with us.

Here is what he said.

Quote,

Humayun Azad is no more

Dear Muktomonas,

Here is a shocking news for everyone of us. No, his recent appeal to his
countrymen, the great PM, and opposition leader and AL chief, nor we, his
countless well-wishers, could save him from the inevitable. Humayun is no
more. He was found dead in his dormitory residence on the morning (~ 11 a.m.
about 4 p.m. Bangladesh time) of August 11, 2004 in Munich University
premises. The fundamentalists would celebrate the day as ‘Nazat day’ (the
day of rejoice) as one of their greatest enemies has been ‘eliminated’ by
the great almighty Allah. The government of Begum Khaleda would also feel
sigh of relief that it would not have to bother about his safety and
security any more.

According to latest report that I could collect, Dr. Azad arrived Munich
University on 9th August and was placed in a dormitory for his residence. As
you already know perhaps, that he is there on 9-month fellowship provided by
an association known as PEN (Poets Essayists Novelists). As he told me on
2nd or 3rd July over telephone that he would soon leave for Munich
University where he intends do some research on some novels of distinguished
German authors.

As I learnt he spent the whole morning of 10th August in the department he
was placed in getting acquaintance with the new environment and his
colleagues. He attended a barbeque party in the evening on the same day, and
returned to the dormitory to have a nice sleep following a hectic day. But
alas, he never woke up from that fatal sleep. He passed away peacefully in
sleep. He had an appointment with some gentleman regarding visa formalities
in the morning of 11th August at the dormitory. As his room was closed, and
even after knock no response was received, the door was broken open. He was
discovered dead. The one of the saddest event in our literary and cultural
life.

The suspicion and mystery naturally grew the way he met his death. Surely it
is not a natural death. Many suspect that he died of heart attack. As far as
I know he has no record of heart ailing (but, I may be wrong). His family
reaction is that ‘there is some conspiracy’. It is difficult to say right
now, al least not before the postmortem report is available.

Yesterday (12th August) evening a gentleman from German embassy with some
teachers of DU went to Azad’s residence to disclose the sad news to his
family members in the yesterday evening. Unfortunately, none was at home
except his youngest daughter. They felt very uneasy to disclose the terrible
news to a minor girl. They returned telling her they would come back later.
Today (13th August), they went to his residence around 9 a.m. and disclosed
the news to his wife. Needless to say for me, how the family members
reacted.

During our conversation over phone on early August, I got the impression
that he wants to avail this opportunity to go to Germany, which would
provide him a better atmosphere to continue his academic pursuit and an
atmosphere to breathe freely. I told him that fear-free atmosphere would
soon bring him back to normal Humayun Azad we knew, and his creative
activity would soon return. At least for the time being he would live in a
liberal atmosphere a distance away from the knives of the fundamentalists.
He told me that he is contemplating to complete his intended novel ‘Minutes
away from the death’, adding ‘Ajoy Babu, I now know how the death looks
like.’

It is a pity that such a colourful life with full of potentialities has to
be ended in such a pathetic way. If this were a conspiracy, how could we
reveal ?

God help us who are as helpless as Dr. Humayun Azad. Long live Humayun Azad,
my good friend.

Ajoy Roy
Dhaka
13. 08. 04
4 p.m.

unquote.

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