Ahmad Rafique, noted Language Movement veteran, poet and researcher, has passed away. He was 96.

He breathed his last at 10:12 pm on Thursday while undergoing treatment at BIRDEM Hospital in the capital.

Rafiq had been sick for some time and was on life support at BIRDEM.

His death was confirmed by BRAC University teacher Ismail Sadi, quoting doctors.

Over his long and distinguished career, Ahmad Rafiq devoted himself to the study of language, poetry, essays, history and research.

He authored and edited more than a hundred books.

Above all, his lifelong engagement with Rabindranath Tagore’s works earned him recognition as one of the foremost Rabindra scholars across both Bangladesh and West Bengal.

He was the recipient of numerous honours, including the Ekushey Padak and the Bangla Academy Literary Award.

Born on 12 September 1929 in Brahmanbaria, Ahmad Rafiq spent his final years at a rented flat in the capital’s New Eskaton area.

His wife predeceased him in 2006. The couple had no children.

Ahmad Rafiq’s passing marks the end of an era in Bangladeshi intellectual life, leaving behind a rich legacy of scholarship, activism and literature that continues to inspire generations.