Photo Courtesy: Gunijan

Noted dramatist and art critic Sayeed Ahmed passed away yesterday at Labaid Hospital in the city. He was 79. He has been unwell from age-related illnesses for a while and was admitted to Labaid Hospital recently.
Ahmed began his career in London as a musician for BBC. His immense contribution to Bangladeshi theatre and art will be remembered with great honour. He wrote several books on drama and art. He regularly wrote for a number of leading newspapers and journals. Ahmed was closely associated with internationally renowned painters, writers and dramatists.
Ahmed was born on January 1, 1931 in Dhaka. Among his most provocative plays are "Kalbela" (1962), "Milepost" (1965), "Trishna-e" (1968), "Ek Din Protidin" (1974) and "Shesh Nawab" (1988). His plays have been translated into English, French, German and Italian. Ahmed received the Bangla Academy Award in 1974 and the Legion d' Honneur from the French Government in 1993. He has delivered lectures at prestigious universities and theatre academies in Brazil, China, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Morocco, Norway, Thailand, Turkey, USA and Russia.
Ahmed was well known to the BTV audience for his “Bishwa Natok” where he introduced and directed plays of international fame. His own contributions include five unique plays, but his impact on our theatre is overwhelming, and his knowledge of the performing art form is boundless. His plays were staged in the US, Italy, Germany, India and Pakistan.
Noted painter Murtaja Baseer recalled Sayeed Ahmed: “I first met him in 1959, in Dhaka. He was very close to poet Shamsur Rahman. Rahman introduced me to him. However, I knew of him as the brother of noted journalist Nazir Ahmed and renowned sculptor Hamidur Rahman. Sayeed Ahmed was very congenial and a great conversationalist. During the '50s, '60s and '70s, Ahmed was very close to noted painters, poets and journalists of the country.”
Renowned painter Monirul Islam said, “Few years ago, Ahmed visited Madrid and stayed at my house. He was very knowledgeable on western paintings. During his stay in Madrid, he visited Prado, Rania Sofia and Thyssen -- three largest museums in the city. He had this ability to quickly become the centre of attention at social and cultural gatherings. Last year, he announced an award in honour of his elder brother Hamidur Rahman. I received the first of that award.”