Noman Mosharef :
The first Covid-19 patients had identified in the country on March 8, 2020. Last one year during this pandemic the country had lost its most talented and brave sons making irreparable losses. The persons who were eminent in their respective fields such as politics, health, sports, culture, business and education have left us permanently.
Veteran politician and Awami League Presidium Member Mohammed Nasim had died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus infection and suffered a massive cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at Bangladesh Specialized Hospital on June 13, last year. He was 72.
Mohammed Nasim was elected as Member of Parliament six times. During the 1996 AL government, he had served in the ministries of home affairs, housing and public works, and posts and telecommunications.
After the 2014 elections, he became the Minister of Health in Awami League government.
He was the spokesperson of the AL-led 14-party alliance. He set up several educational institutionsin different places, including Dhaka and Sirajganj.
Nasim was also the chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on food.
Sahara Khatun, former home minister and also was country’s first home boss and a presidium member of Awami League, breathed her last on July 9 last year while undergoing treatment at Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. She also was diagnosed with Covid-19 positive. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, a member of the Awami League’s central executive committee, died of coronavirus on June 15. He was the first elected mayor of Sylhet City Corporation.
Covid-19 also snatched away veteran Awami League leaders and MPs AKM Jahangir, Haji Maqbool Ahmed and Israfil Alam.
Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf, a former minister and senior BNP leader died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus infection. He was 80 years old and died on December 7.
The country’s longest serving Attorney General Mahbubey Alam died on September 27 at the age of 71. Although he was free from corona, but died of lung infection.
Covid-19 also snatched Ekushey Padak and Swadhinata Padak awarded National Professor Dr Anisuzzaman.
One of the leading intellectuals of the country, Prof Anisuzzaman, a Dhaka University Bangla department alumnus, had 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.
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.
Murtaja Baseer, a pioneer of surrealist art in Bangladesh, also died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus infection at 88.
Kamal Lohani, who was the first to hear about the war on Swadhin Bangla Betar, lost his voice on June 20.
Monjur E Mawla, a former secretary and director of Bangla Academy, poet, died of coronavirus at the age of 80.
Popular journalist Khandaker Mozammel Haque, who wrote a column titled ‘Gedu Chachar Khola Chithi’, died on June 29 with the symptoms of corona. Mizanur Rahman Khan, joint editor of Prothom Alo, died from Corona. Khandaker Muniruzzaman, acting editor of the daily Sangbad, died on November 24 at the age of 73 after contracting corona.
Independent Bengali football team player Nowsheruzzaman died on September 21 at the age of 70. Corona also took away freedom fighters Abu Osman Chowdhury, Ziauddin Tareq Ali and businessmen MA Hashem, Nurul Islam Babul and many others.
