Jatin Sarker passes away at 89

Prominent leftist intellectual, writer and Independence Award-winning scholar Jatin Sarker has passed away at the age of 89.

He died on Wednesday at 2:40 PM while undergoing treatment in Intensive Care Unit of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. 

His son, Suman Sarker, confirmed the news.

Jatin Sarker had been suffering from various age-related health complications for an extended period. 

In June, he sustained a hip injury after a fall, which led to hospitalization in Dhaka. He was later transferred to Mymensingh, where he had been under treatment until his death.

Throughout his life, Sarker remained deeply engaged in literary pursuits and progressive politics. He served two terms as president of central committee of Bangladesh Udichi Shilpigoshthi, a leading cultural organization. 

His body will be taken to Udichi’s Mymensingh office to allow admirers to pay their final respects.

Born on August 18, 1936, in Chandpara village of Kendua upazila in Netrakona, Jatin Sarker was a former professor of Bangla Department at Nasirabad College in Mymensingh. He dedicated his career to both education and activism, remaining a respected voice in Bangladesh’s intellectual and cultural landscape.

As a writer, he received numerous accolades in recognition of his work, including Independence Award in 2010 and Bangla Academy Literary Award in 2007, along with several other national literary honours.

After more than four decades in teaching, Jatin Sarker retired in 2002 and returned to his native district of Netrakona with his wife, Kanan Sarker. 

He had been living in their family home at Satpai area of the town until his passing.

SH