Global Courant 2023-05-16 07:10:00
DHAKA – Bangladeshi actor and member of parliament Akbar Hossain Pathan, known by the stage name Farooque, passed away at 8.30am on Monday. He turned 74 years old.
News of his death was confirmed to The Daily Star by his son, Shorot, who said: “My father passed away around 8.30am today. Please pray for his departed soul.”
The actor-turned-politician had been treated in a Singapore hospital for nearly two years.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have expressed their condolences for the loss.
“His contributions to the film industry and our politics will never be forgotten… This is an irreparable loss to Bangladesh’s cultural sector,” Shahabuddin said in a statement.
Farooque made his claim to fame on the big screen through the film Jolchhobi directed by H. Akbar. His acting talent would eventually earn him the 1975 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Later, in 2016, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He appeared in more than 150 films in a career spanning more than five decades. Most of his films were commercially and critically successful.
Some of Farooque’s most notable and memorable films include Sareng Bou, Lathial, Sujon Sokhi, Noyonmoni, and Golapi Ekhon Traine.
The actor’s hometown is in Kaliganj Upazila, Gazipur, but he was born and raised in Dhaka.
Farooque was also involved in the Six Point Movement in 1966, which advocated greater autonomy for East Pakistan. THE DAILY STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
