Singer and lyricist Shaikh Shahed Ali, best known for his song ‘Rokzana’, is in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Dhaka after suffering a stroke and being diagnosed with dengue.
Shahed was admitted to hospital on 24 October after his sodium levels dropped. He suffered a stroke during treatment and has since struggled to speak, communicating mainly through whispers and gestures, according to his friend Ershadul Huq, head of Cool Exposure.
The founder of Bangladeshi band ‘Gach’ has been undergoing regular dialysis for the past four years. As his condition worsened, he was moved to a high-dependency unit at a hospital in Gandaria, Old Dhaka, on 31 October, before being transferred to another private hospital’s ICU.
Ershadul said Shahed continues to face complications despite receiving dialysis. His right arm and leg have swollen, while a blood clot in the fistula used for dialysis has prompted doctors to consider an alternative arrangement. He remains under close medical observation.
His illness has also forced the cancellation of a programme scheduled for 6 November at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh. Shahed had planned to release 24 songs composed over the past 11 years under the G-Series label. The project was also set to include four CDs, four cassette editions and four vinyl records for collectors.
The singer had been preparing to travel to Delhi after 15 November for a kidney transplant. According to Ershadul, a donor had already been finalised, but the trip has been postponed because of Shahed’s current condition.
Shahed founded the band ‘Gach’ and has been active in the music scene since the 1990s. His popular songs include ‘Rokzana’, ‘Upolobdhi’, ‘Classroom-e Boshe Shekha’, ‘Utpakhir Dim’, ‘Khola Chul’ and ‘Prem Ashbei’. His debut album, Probhu, was released in 1991, followed by five more albums.
His family, friends and well-wishers have requested prayers for his recovery.
