Bangla Academy Award-winning poet Helal Hafiz has been hospitalised with high fever and respiratory complications.
He was admitted to the LabAid Hospital at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi late on Tuesday (May 21).
“Poet Helal Hafiz was admitted to hospital around 11pm on Tuesday. He had high fever and was not being able to eat anything. He is also suffering from respiratory problems,” Saifur Rahman, LabAid’s assistant general manager (communications), told Bangla Tribune.
Helal Hafiz’s first collection of poems “Je Jwale Agun Jwale” published in 1986 earned him huge acclaim.
Twelve editions of it have been published so far. But the poet showed no great interest in having a new book published.
His second collection, ‘Kobita 71’, was, therefore, published 26 years later in 2012.
Born in Netrokona, Helal Hafiz studied at the Dhaka University.
He also worked as a journalist.