The body of writer, researcher, and leftist intellectual Badruddin Umar was brought to the Central Shaheed Minar on Monday at 10 am, where a wide array of individuals from different political, cultural, and professional backgrounds gathered to pay their final respects.
Among those who paid tribute were interim government adviser CR Abrar, Asif Nazrul, Sharmin S Murshid, Farida Akhter, Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, Gonoshonghoti Andolon’s Zunaid Saki, and NCP’s Nahid Islam, alongside countless others who placed flowers on Umar’s coffin.
Following the tribute at the Shaheed Minar, his body was taken to the Central Mosque of Dhaka University for the funeral prayer (Janaza), which was held after Zuhr prayer. He will be laid to rest at Jurain Cemetery beside his father, Abul Hashim.
Badruddin Umar, 94, passed away at 10:05 am on Sunday, following a decline in his health. A veteran leftist thinker and political leader, Umar had long been active in politics, particularly with the Communist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist-Leninist). His passing has left the country’s intellectual and political spheres in mourning.
In 2025, Umar was awarded the Independence Award, Bangladesh’s highest civilian honor, though he controversially declined to accept it. He was also the president of the National Liberation Council, a position he held since 2003.
Born in Bardhaman, British India, on 20 December 1931, Umar moved to East Pakistan in 1950, following his father’s socialist beliefs. He later pursued higher education at Dhaka University and the University of Oxford, where he earned a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE).
A lifelong advocate of socialism, Umar contributed significantly to Bangladesh’s political and cultural development. His influence extended through various roles, including as president of Bangladesh Lekhak Shibir, founder of the monthly essay magazine Sanskriti, and leader of the Farmers’ Federation. He also coordinated the Democratic Revolutionary Alliance and served on the Central Committee of the Communist Party of East Bengal.
