Bangla Music

Posted: 05 Jun 2011 03:26 AM PDT

The country's Pop Guru Azam Khan has passed away Sunday morning at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) after a prolonged fight with cancer. He was 62.

Khan suffered a massive cardiac arrest around 9:30am and his life support system was taken off at around 10:20am, Brig Gen Mehboobul Haque, commandant of Dhaka CMH, told The Daily Star.

The freedom fighter, who was suffering from oral cancer, was admitted to Square Hospital on May 22. He was given life support later as his condition deteriorated.

With his health condition being unimproved, Azam Khan was moved to Dhaka CMH June 1 night.

Since then, the CMH doctors were continuing the treatment prescribed by Square Hospital physicians.

His condition was a little better on Saturday and he tried to communicate with doctors with gesture, the commandant said.

Azam Khan was undergoing treatment under the supervision of a medical board formed by CMH with consultant physician Maj Gen Rabiul Hossain as its head.

After detecting the cancer, the legendary singer was flown to Singapore on July 14 last year for better treatment. He returned home after treatment at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Azam Khan left behind his two daughters and one son to mourn at his death.

Fakir Alamgir, his longtime singer friend with whom Azam Khan began Gano Sangeet in the '60, said the Pop Guru received financial assistance from the singers and his fans after he became sick last year but he was not properly evaluated.

During the tumultuous days of 1971 Liberation War, the Pop Guru inspired people to fight against the Pakistani regime with his songs. He participated in the Liberation War as an active guerrilla freedom fighter in sector No-2.

Born on February 28, 1950, Azam Khan was brought up at his Kamalapur ancestral residence, family sources said.

Awami League joint secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, who went to the CMH after hearing the death news, told media that Azam Khan's body will be taken to Shaheed Minar Monday morning where people will show tribute to him.

He will be buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals graveyard after his namaz-e-Janaza at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Monday afternoon, he added.