Controversial TV commentator Piash Karim has died after suffering cardiac arrest on Monday.
His family contacted Square Hospital after he fell ill early morning.
Karim, a teacher at the BRAC University, was declared to have been brought dead at 5:30am after he was taken to the hospital from his Dhanmondi residence.
“He died before he was brought to the hospital. We believe he suffered a heart attack, as evident from our tests,” Dr Mallika Sarker of the hospital’s Emergency Department told bdnews24.com.
Karim’s body, his family said, will be kept at the hospital’s morgue until Tuesday and will be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar on Wednesday so that mourners can pay their last respects.
His funeral prayers will be held at the Baitul Mokkarram National Mosque after the Zohr prayers on Wednesday.
A decision about burial will be taken after his three sisters come home from abroad.
Karim taught at BRAC University’s Department of Economics and Social Science.
Journalist, researcher and BRAC University teacher Afsan Chowdhury said Piash Karim got involved with the camp of Leftist writers and Marxist movement after independence. He studied the subject abroad.
Originally from Comilla, he shot into limelight for his performance on television panel discussions.
His father Advocate MA Karim was one of the influential members of the infamous Peace Committee in Comilla during the 1971 Liberation War.
The Razakars, an auxiliary force set up to back Pakistan’s army against the Mukti Bahini, were mobilised through the Peace Committees across Bangladesh.
Karim faced considerable flak for criticising the mass uprising in Shahbagh to demand maximum punishment for war criminals.
He was widely criticised for his controversial remarks over the trial processes of the International Crimes Tribunal.
Karim’s wife Amena Mohsin teaches at Dhaka University’s International Relations Department. The couple has a son.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia has expressed her condolences over his death.
Senior BNP leaders including acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir visited the grieving family at Karim’s Dhanmondi residence.
Source: Bd news24