Small screen actor Tinu Karim, who had recently returned home after a prolonged critical illness and ICU treatment, passed away in Barishal on Thursday, February 12. He had travelled to his village home centring the 13th National Parliament election.
The news was confirmed to Times of Bangladesh by Actors’ Equity Association General Secretary Rashed Mamun Apu.
“He had recovered significantly,” Apu said. “He still had some difficulty in his throat because he had been fed through a tube for a long time. He went to Barishal to cast his vote. But before voting, he suddenly lost consciousness at home around noon. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors declared him dead.”
According to Apu, his funeral prayer will be held in Barishal after Friday prayers. He is survived by his wife Humayra Naushin and their 11-year-old daughter.
Speaking to media, his wife said the actor appeared stable in recent days. “He was quite well. We came to our village home in Barishal three days ago. Everything was normal.”
“Around noon, he started feeling unwell. After taking him to hospital, doctors declared him dead. They said he died of a heart attack,” she said.
Tinu Karim had battled severe health complications for months. He first fell seriously ill on November 8 while in Barishal. As his oxygen level dropped, he was brought to Dhaka on November 24 and admitted to the ICU of a city hospital. After a brief improvement, he was shifted to a cabin but later lost consciousness as his blood pressure and sugar levels fell.
He was moved back to ICU and placed on life support on December 3. After 23 days on life support, he was returned to ICU care on December 26 and shifted to a cabin on December 31. Following around 40 days of hospitalisation, he returned home in the first week of January.
Active in acting for over two decades, Tinu Karim made his television debut in 2001 with the drama Sakkhor. He entered films with Opekkha in 2010. He later appeared in numerous dramas, films and commercials, including Raat Jaga Phool and Alta Banu, and gained wide recognition through a mobile operator advertisement.
