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capital’s New Eskaton area after his wife passed away in 2006. He had no children.

Sadi told The Daily Star that Rafique had been receiving treatment at other private hospitals since September 11 after suffering multiple mild strokes. Rafique also had kidney problems and other issues related to old age.

He was transferred to the Birdem Hospital on September 28 and placed on life support on Wednesday afternoon.

Quoting doctors, Sadi said Rafique suffered a cardiac arrest before his death.

Born on September 12, 1929 at Shahbajpur village in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail Upazila, Rafique spent his early life in different districts including Narail and Munshiganj.

He passed intermediate from Munshiganj’s Haraganga College in 1949. There, he engaged himself in different democratic movements, including the Language Movement.

After getting admitted to Dhaka Medical College, he became one of the organisers of the Language Movement. He was among those who challenged a ban on gathering on February 21, 1952, marching in the front lines.

Rafique became a member of the East Pakistan Communist Party in 1953, according to a write-up by Sadi in the magazine Kali o Kolom.

Following the events of the movement, Rafique had to live two years as a fugitive. He was allowed to sit for his exams and earned his MBBS degree in 1957.

However, he was the only student denied an internship for his involvement in the Language Movement.

He later co-founded a pharmaceutical company with friends, but could not remain there for long. He also contributed to Bangladesh’s drug policy formulation and served as a senior officer at BCIC.

He eventually stepped away from these roles to devote himself fully to writing and literary pursuits.

He authored several books on different aspects of the Language Movement. One of his most notable works is “Language Movement: History and Significance”, which he co-authored with Abdul Matin, a fellow activist and leader of the movement.

Rafique penned more than 20 books on Rabindranath Tagore. For his significant contributions to research on Tagore’s life and writings, the Tagore Research Institute in Kolkata honoured him with the “Rabindratattacharya” title in 2011.

Besides, he has written books on Kazi Nazrul Islam, Jibanananda Das, Bishnu Dey, the partition of 1947, and the 1971 Liberation War.

He received the Bangla Academy Padak in 1979 and Ekushey Padak in 1995.

Rafique’s writings on the partition of Bengal shed new light on this historic event. One of his most well-known books on the subject is “Desh Bibhag: Fire Dekha”, widely praised for its insightful analysis and original perspective.

As a vigilant guardian of the nation’s freedom, The Daily Star paid tribute to Rafique on its 33rd anniversary in 2023 by honouring him with the “Sentinel of Freedom of Thought” award.

His first book of poetry is “Nirbasita Nayak” (1966) and prose work is “Shilpa Sangskriti Jiban” (1958). He also wrote on medical issues. He edited numerous literary works and scientific research papers.