Folk legend Fakir Alamgir dies of Covid-19

Eminent folk singer Fakir Alamgir has passed away at a hospital in the capital tonight at the age of 71.

He suffered a cardiac arrest around 10pm at the Covid unit of the hospital. There the singer breathed his last at 10:56pm, his son Mashuque Alamgir Rajeeb told The Business Standard.

The first namaz-e-janaza of Fakir Alamgir will be held today at 11am in the Pallima Sangsad premises in Khilgaon, Dhaka. Later, the mortal remains of the singer will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar at 12pm to pay tribute.  

He will be buried at Taltola Graveyard after his last namaz-e-janaza at Khilgaon Matir Mosque in the capital after Zuhr prayers on Saturday.

Recently, he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the capital's United Hospital as his condition deteriorated after testing positive for Covid-19.

Fakir Alamgir was born in 1950. He stepped into the music arena in 1966 and played a vital role during the mass uprising of 1969 as a member of the Kranti Shilpi Gosthi and Gana Shilpi Gosthi. During the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh, he joined the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra and performed frequently to inspire freedom fighters.

After the independence of the country, Alamgir has 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.

Fakir 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.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of the singer.

State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid, State Minister Mahbub Ali, Deputy leader of the opposition Golam Mohammad Quader and other government high officials also mourned his death.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of one of the members of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kedra, and prominent Gono Sangeet artist of the country Fakir Alamgir.

In a condolence message shortly after news broke of the singer's death, she said that the role of Fakir Alamgir will always be remembered for his contribution in the musical arena of the country, especially his role in popularisong Gono Sangeet.

She prayed for the eternal salvation of the departed soul and expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen , Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam also released statements to mourn an iconic figure's passing.

Momen, in a message, expressed deep shock at the death of freedom fighter and singer Fakir Alamgir.

"Fakhir (sic) Alamgir was a shining star of the country's cultural arena. People will remember his contributions forever," he said.