On the set of “Kothao keu nei”.

Humayun Ahmed, who earned a PhD in chemistry from North Dakota State University, and who was a scientist, writer, and a filmmaker, died aged 64 in the US, after a nearly year-long battle against colon cancer. Every Bangalee heart has grown heavier and heavier since his death.
Humayun was a custodian of the Bangladeshi literary culture whose contribution single-handedly shifted the capital of Bangla literature from Kolkata to Dhaka without any war or revolution. One of the remarkable things about Humayun's distinguished literary career is his influence. His writing is so influential that people not only get psychological pleasure from reading his books, but usually end up becoming fans of his fictional characters, such as Himu and Misir Ali. However, in death, Humayun's celebrity status seems likely to exceed his popularity, even at the height of his fame.
Humayun reached the peak of his fame with the publication of Nondito Noroke (In Blissful Hell) in 1972, which remains one of his most famous work. He wrote over 200 fiction and non-fiction books-all of which were bestsellers in Bangladesh. This is something unheard of.
Furthermore, Humayun made a huge contribution to the field of fine arts, especially in film. He is hailed as one of the most influential architects of television drama of all time, authoring landmark sitcoms, such as Ei Shob Din Ratri, Bohubrihi, Ayomoy, and Kothao Keu Nei, which featured a fictional character named Baker Bhai, who was wrongly convicted and executed. Baker Bhai became such a popular character that before the last episode was aired, thousands of people across the country urged Humayun to change the script just to save his life, the life of a fictional character.  This made Humayun a household name.
It is true that Bangla literature would have remained piteously incomplete, and even imperfect, without the works of Humayun. However, it is also quite apparent that without the works of Tagore or Nazrul, Bangla literature would have broken up into mutually unintelligible dialects. Hence, it is fair to place Humayun after Tagore and Nazrul. However, Humayun never compared himself to Shakespeare, and not even to Tagore and Nazrul. He did not regard himself as a great writer.
(Abridged. The article by Rashidul Bari was published in The Times of India on Aug 16, 2012.)