Badruddin Umar, one of Bangladesh’s prominent writers, researchers and left-leaning intellectuals, passed away on Sunday at the age of 94.

He breathed his last at Bangladesh Specialised Hospital around 10am, confirmed Jatiya Mukti Council Secretary Faizul Hakim. Umar had long been struggling with age-related complications and his condition deteriorated in the morning before he was rushed to hospital.

Born into a politically conscious era, Umar made his mark as a part-time lecturer at Dhaka University before founding the Department of Sociology at Rajshahi University. Beyond academia, he became a voice of resistance and activism.

 He led the Bangladesh Krishak Federation, coordinated the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance and at one stage served on the central committee of the Communist Party of East Bengal.

In 2003, he established the Jatiya Mukti Council, taking charge as its founding president, and continued to inspire the progressive movement with his uncompromising politics.

Umar was selected for the prestigious Independence Award, Bangladesh’s highest civilian honour, in 2025. However, he chose not to accept it.

His passing marks the end of a chapter in Bangladesh’s intellectual and political history, but his writings and activism will continue to resonate with generations to come.