In the afternoon yesterday (Monday), Sharmistha Rahman told Prothom Alo that Ataur Rahman’s condition deteriorated after he fell down at home on 1 May. He was first taken to a hospital in Gulshan, where doctors said he required ICU (Intensive Care Unit) support. Since ICU facilities were unavailable there at the time, he was later admitted to a hospital in Dhanmondi.

Sharmistha Rahman said that Ataur Rahman was placed on life support immediately after admission. Last Saturday, his condition improved slightly, and the life support was removed. However, when his condition worsened again, he was put back on life support on Sunday. At around 12:45 am on Monday night, the life support was withdrawn, and doctors declared him dead.

Ataur Rahman was a versatile figure in Bangladesh’s cultural arena. He was simultaneously a theatre personality, actor, stage director, and writer. Born on 18 June 1941 in Noakhali, he was regarded as one of the pioneers of the post-independence theatre movement in Bangladesh. A postgraduate in Soil Science from the University of Dhaka, Ataur Rahman was one of the founding members of Nagorik Natya Sampradaya. In 1972, he emerged as a theatre director through Michael Madhusudan Dutt’s play Buro Shaliker Ghare Ro.