He breathed his last at Dhaka’s United Hospital at 11 am on Sunday, according to Bangla Academy's public relations department. Mawla was admitted to the hospital on Dec 5 after being diagnosed with the coronavirus infection. His family members will handle his burial and funeral prayers, the academy informed. He became the director general of Bangla Academy in the early 1980s. ‘Amar Ekushey Boi Mela,’ the longest running book festival in the world, was launched during his three-year tenure at the academy.

Source: bd News24 December 20, 2020 07:30 UTC