Writer Qazi Anwar Hussain laid to rest

Qazi Anwar Hussain, noted writer and founder of ‘Sheba Prokashoni’, was laid to eternal rest with due respect in city's Banani graveyard on Thursday.

Following a namaz-e-janaza at Segun Bagicha Kacha Bazar mosque in the city after Zuhr prayers, the body was taken to the Banani graveyard.

The eminent writer was buried at the grave of his mother Sajeda Khatun around 3 pm.

As per the desire of Hussain and due to the recent surge of the Covid-19 infection, the family members decided not to take his body anywhere, including Shaheed Minar.

Earlier, his body was taken to his resident located at 24/4 Qazi Motahar Hossain Sarak at 9.15 am from the mortuary of BIRDEM Hospital of the capital.

Guerrilla-71, a liberation war based organisation, paid its last tributes by placing wreath at the coffin of Hussain.

All the funeral procedures were done in a limited scale amid the ongoing pandemic situation and following proper health rules, family sources said.

Qazi Anwar Hussain was diagnosed with prostate cancer on October 31 in last year.

On January 10, this year, he was placed on life support, before suffering a stroke and a heart attack.

He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at BIRDEM Hospital on Wednesday at the age of 85.

Born on July 19, 1936, in the capital, Hussain mainly wrote spy thriller, detective and adventure based novels most of which are adaptation translation from or heavily influenced by foreign literature.

"Masud Rana", the popular spy-thriller series was created at the hands of Hussain.

Hussain obtained his Master's Degree in Bengali literature and language from the University of Dhaka.

In the middle of 1960, he started a paperback publishing house called Sheba Prokashoni with four writers, three of whom were his own pen-names.

The publishing house is credited with publishing works of world literature, as well as original work.