The Central Shaheed Minar premises turned into a grieving ground yesterday with hundreds of mourners pouring in to pay their last respects to Tareque Masud and Ashfaque Munier Mishuk.
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Tareque and ATN News chief executive officer Mishuk were killed along with three others in a road crash on Dhaka-Aricha highway on Saturday. They were on their way to meet the Manikganj deputy commissioner for permission to shoot for Tareque’s new film “Kagojer Phool” after visiting a shooting spot.
The Shaheed Minar ground was almost filled with people from all walks of life before the scheduled start time at 10:30am. Many had to wait on the adjacent street to pay their tributes.
Friends, co-workers, teachers, intellectuals, lawyers, politicians, academicians, journalists, cultural personalities, civil society members, rights activists, students and diplomats were among those who placed wreaths on their coffins.
Representatives of President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also placed wreaths on their behalf.
“This is something you just cannot accept,” said Aly Zaker, media personality and a close acquaintance of Tareque.
“Masud had an outstanding talent in filmmaking. And Mishuk’s talent in the technological know-how in the field is rare in Bangladesh.
“I hope Masud’s wife Catherine and his colleagues will complete what he started. This cannot be the end of it,” he told reporters.
Born in 1956 in Faridpur, Tareque Masud directed a number of acclaimed films including Muktir Gaan (The Song of Freedom) in 1995 and Matir Moina (The Clay Bird) in 2002 which won a FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival of the same year.
He spent 10 years researching for Kagojer Phool, his friends said.
“Thus far it was only my beginning. My journey to make some epics starts with the Kagojer Phool,” Aly Zaker quoted Tareque as saying during a conversation.
With the loss of Tareque and Mishuk, the nation lost not only two great artists but also two complete human beings loved and respected by all, said Dhaka University Prof Asif Nazrul.
“I can’t accept their departure like this,” said noted media personality Asaduzzaman Noor.
Their bodies were later taken to Dhaka University Central Mosque, where the first namaz-e-janaza was held after Zohr prayers.
The second namaz-e-janaza took place on Zahir Raihan Laboratory premise of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC).
Their bodies were taken from there to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University mortuary.
Masud’s body will be kept there until Catherine Masud makes a decision about his burial, family members said. Catherine, who was injured in the accident, was released from hospital yesterday evening.
Mishuk will be buried after the arrival of his brother Ahmed Munier Bhashan from the United States tomorrow.
A reputed cinematographer, Mishuk is the son of Munier Chowdhury, a 1971 martyred intellectual. He taught broadcast journalism at Dhaka University and worked with Canada-based TV channel The Real News.
-With The Daily Star input
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