Prominent writer Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq passed away today due to age-related complications. He was 85.

He breathed his last around 3:30pm at National Heart Foundation, family members said.

Anwar Ul Hasan, the professor's son-in-law, confirmed the death to The Daily Star.

"We were all attending a family gathering when he suddenly fell ill. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead," he said.

Abul Kashem, a former professor of Bangla language and literature at Dhaka University, was the president of Bangla Academy.

He was widely known for his contributions to literature, research, and academia over several decades.

He was the father of Faisal Arefin Dipan, owner of Jagriti Prokashony, who was stabbed to death by members of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team in 2015.