Eminent educationalist, diplomat and intellectual Prof Khan Sarwar Murshid breathed his last at a city hospital yesterday.
The 88-year-old was on life support in the intensive care unit of Apollo Hospital and passed away at 4:40pm, said hospital sources.
He is survived by two sons, Ferdous Murshid and Kumar Murshid, and two daughters, Tazeen Murshid and Sharmeen Murshid.
The first namaz-e-janaza of Murshid will be held at Azad mosque in Gulshan after Zohr prayers today, and the second will take place at Dhaka University mosque after Asr prayers, Kumar Murshid told The Daily Star.
His body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 2:30pm to 4:00pm for paying last tributes. Sammilito Sangskritik Jote will organise the proceedings.
Former vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University, Murshid had been unstable since September 23 when he suffered a brain stroke.
He was taken home from the hospital for a short period in October, but had to be readmitted to the hospital on October 18 following another stroke.
Doctors said a computerised tomography (CT) scan revealed a sign of haemorrhage in his brain.
Born in 1924, Murshid was at the forefront of the Language Movement in 1952, the Mass Upsurge in 1969, the six-point movement and the Liberation War in 1971.
During the war, he was a member of the planning commission of the Mujibnagar government in exile. He was an adviser to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Tajuddin Ahmed.
In his illustrious diplomatic career, he served as Bangladesh High Commissioner to Poland, Hungary and erstwhile Czechoslovakia and was also appointed assistant secretary general of the Commonwealth in 1977.
He was the first chairman of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) and was a trustee board member of the anti-graft watchdog till his death.
He was the editor of the literary journal New Values between 1949 and 1965. He received the Bangla Academy Award in 2010 for his contributions to literature.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia yesterday in separate messages expressed profound shock at the death of Prof Murshid.
The president recalled his invaluable contributions to the expansion of education in the country.
The prime minister said Murshid played an important role in the country's democratic movements.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith also expressed deep sorrow at the demise of Prof Murshid and offered his condolences to the bereaved family members.
Murshid was a pioneer in the fields of the country's education, democracy and good governance, said Muhith.
Different socio-cultural organisations and political parties including Chhayanaut, Sammilito Samajik Andolon, Nagorik Uddyog (citizen's initiative), Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshti and Bangladesh Communist Party lamented the death of the educationalist.