Noted film actor, valiant freedom fighter Farooque no more

BSS: Noted film actor, lawmaker of the Jatiya Sangsad and valiant freedom fighter Akbar Hossain Pathan (Farooque) passed away this morning at the aged of 75.

The legendary actor breathed his last at 10 am (Bangladesh Local Time or BST) while he was undergoing treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore.

President M Shahbuddin, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury have expressed profound shock at the death of the ruling party politician who was also a lawmaker of Ghulshan-Banani or Dhaka-17 constituency.

His family sources said Farooque was undergoing treatment in Singapore for more than one and half year with blood infection complications as he went to Singapore for regular routine check-up on March 4, 2021.

Later, he was admitted to the hospital after his physical condition was getting worse. His body will be brought into the country after finishing all the necessary activities in the hospital.

Farooque was born in Dhaka on August 18 in 1948.He was crowned on the big screen in 1971 through acting in a Bengali movie “Jolchhobi”, directed by H Akbar. Kabori was the first film actress in the first movie against him [Farooque].

Then Farooque performed as ‘Supporting Actor’ in two liberation war based movie— “Abar Tora Manush Ha” directed by Khan Ataur Rahman in 1973 and other was “Alor Michil” directed by Narayan Gosh Mita in 1974.

He earned the National Film Award for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ in 1975. Later, in 2016, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Some of Farooque’s most notable and memorable films include “Sareng Bou”, “Lathial”, “Sujon Sokhi”, “Noyonmoni”, “Mia Bhai”, “Golapi Ekhon Traine”, “Shaeb”, “Alor Michil”, “Din Jai Kotha Thakey” and many more.

He had acted in 150 different popular films in his acting career spanning more than five decades. He was popularly known as “Mia Bhai” in the cinematography for his successful character in the film.

After taking break from the film industry, Farooque was elected as a member of parliament for the first time in Dhaka-17 constituency as a candidate of ruling Awami League following eleventh Jatiya Sangsad elections.