Condition of nat’l professor Anisuzzaman critical: family

Health condition of National Professor Anisuzzaman is developing from concerning to critical level, his family said yesterday.

Earlier on April 27, the Dhaka University professor emeritus was admitted to Universal Medical College Hospital after he fell seriously ill.

Prof Anisuzzaman was shifted to the capital's Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on Saturday, as his condition was not improving. Apart from heart problems, the 83-year-old writer has been suffering from kidney and lung complications, and respiratory problems, according to his son Ananda Zaman.

"My father's heath condition is going from concerning to critical level. Doctors said they were expecting better response from the treatment, but that's not happening," Ananda said after visiting his father at the hospital yesterday.

Earlier in the noon, Ananda said Prof Anisuzzaman's condition was not stable. "Doctors are saying that his condition is fluctuating every other hour."

Prof Anisuzzaman, one of the most prolific essayists of the country, was previously hospitalised for one week in the beginning of April.

The academic taught at Dhaka and Chittagong universities, was a post-doctoral fellow at University of Chicago, and a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow at University of London.

He was also associated with research projects of United Nations University. He was a visiting fellow at University of Paris, North Carolina State University, University of Calcutta, and a visiting professor at Visva-Bharati of India.

He was awarded Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak, the highest state awards given by the government, for his contribution to education.

The Indian government had awarded him Padma Bhusan, the country's third highest civilian honour, for his distinguished service in fields of Bangla literature and education.

Born in Kolkata in 1937, Prof Anisuzzaman and his family shifted to Bangladesh soon after the partition in 1947.