Popular Bengali fiction writer Humayun Ahmed, 64, has died at a New York hospital after a nine-month battle against colon cancer.Dr Abdul Momen, the Bangladesh ambassador to the UN, told bdnews24.com that he had passed away at 11:30pm Thursday Bangladesh time at Bellevue Hospital.Arriving in New York on Sept 14 last year for treatment, he had two major surgeries on his colon since June 12 at Bellevue. He had earlier gone through 12 chemotherapy cycles at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre.Wife Meher Afroz Shaon, younger brother Mohammad Zafar Iqbal and publisher Mazharul Islam were at the Bellevue Hospital at the time of death.
Born in Mymensingh in 1948, he studied chemistry at the Dhaka University and later taught chemistry in his alma mater.
He left teaching when he became a fulltime writer and filmmaker.
Winner of Bangla Academy Award in 1981, Ekushey Padak in 1994 and three National Film Awards (Best Story in 1993, Best Film 1994 and Best Script in 1994), Humayun continued writing even when he was being treated in New York.
On Jan 13, the government gave the writer a diplomatic position –Senior Special Adviser -- at the country's Permanent Mission at the United Nations.
The writer is survived by two sons—Ninit and Nishad— with second wife Shaon, and three daughters— Nova, Shila, Bipasha—and son Nuhash with his previous wife Gultekin.
