Renowned playwright and cultural personality of Bangladesh Selim al Deen died of cardiac failure at Labaid Cardiac Hospital in the capital city Dhaka today afternoon. He was 58. He was a professor at Jahangirnagar University. He had been provided with artificial life support at the hospital as his condition became very critical last night.
Selim was scheduled to be flown to a Bangkok hospital for better treatment today (14 December). The Jahangirnagar University drama and dramatics professor was rushed to BIRDEM Friday evening after he suffered respiratory trouble. He was transferred to LabAid after doctors diagnosed cardiac problems.
Selim Al din was born on August 18, 1949. His Family name is Moinudddin Ahmed; Selim was the founding chairman of the Dramatics Department at Jahangirnagar University. He was also the president of Village Theatre Project under Dhaka Theatre.
One of the finest playwrights the country has ever produced, he wrote Charkankra in 1977, which makes one of the first street plays in Bangladesh. His most important plays include Muntasir Fantasy (1976), Kirton Khola (1980), Keramat Mangal (1984), Chaka (1990), and Jaibati Kanyar Mon (1991).
His other dramas Bashon, Atotaiee, Saiful Muluk Badiuzzaman and Hat Hodai established him as a dramatist extraordinaire.
He produced epic drama "Nimojjon" at the last stage of his life and had written a number of TV dramas and serials. Selim did a PhD in "Drama in the Middle Age of Bengali Literature" in 1995.
He received Bangla Academy Award in 1984 and other awards from different organisations in Bangladesh.