Eternal rest at Nuhash Palli?Body of Humayun Ahmed arrives tomorrow

Submitted by Lutphea.tory on Sat, 21/07/2012 - 12:41am

It was four years back Humayun Ahmed invited a host of relatives to his beloved retreat Nuhash Palli in the greenery of Gazipur saal forest.

“In the evening, he called us near a pond. Suddenly, a guerrilla burst on there, scaring the hell out of us, especially the children,” said Humayun's maternal uncle Nurunnabi Sheikh.

“In a few minutes, we discovered it was a staff wearing a costume to act like guerrilla. Humayun wanted to amaze us.”

“Humayun was a great soul. He wanted to live with all around him and make others laugh,” Nurunnabi told The Daily Star at the Mirpur residence of Humayun's mother yesterday.

On the ground floor of the two-storey building, some relatives sat here and there while Humayun's younger brother noted cartoonist Ahsan Habib was receiving visitors.

“I am the unfortunate one to first tell my mother that Humayun is no more,” he Habib, seeming at ease, told this correspondent. “Ma became silent, numb with shock…”

“My brother Zafar Iqbal had to tell my mother of my father's death …and it was me yesterday.”

Humayun's another maternal uncle Mahbunnabi Sheikh was also present there. “Ayesha apa [sister] had often fainted… I couldn't dare meet her. What should I tell her?” he said.

Sharing his experience with the storyteller, he said Humayun always wanted to share joy with all his relatives.

“Whenever Humayun heard of any problem, he rushed to our house at Mohonganj of Netrakona. He always took care of us despite being very busy.”

Humayun often took his relatives and friends to Nuhash Palli that he built on 40-bigha land at Pirujali.

“We had a lot of funs there,” says Nurunnabi.

He added Humayun loved nature. There are around 250 rare species of trees, mostly planted by the writer-filmmaker, at Nuhash Palli.

Nurul Haque, assistant director of Nuhash Palli, said, “Sir was a tree-lover. Whenever he came here, he first looked after his trees. I used to prepare tea for him. It is very sad he would not come here anymore…”

Ahsan Habib told The Daily Star Humayun Ahmed's body would arrive around 1:30pm today. The next day, the body would be taken to the Central Shaheed Minar for people to see.

He could not say for sure where Humayun Ahmed would be buried.

“Nuhash Palli officials said my brother wanted to be buried at Nuhash Palli. But, the decision will be finalised once my another brother Zafar Iqbal returns home Sunday [today].”

The litterateur died at Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital in New York Thursday night after suffering from colon cancer, leaving behind millions of fans and well-wishers.

News Source:

The Daily Star