Renowned playwright and a legendary figure of the country’s street theatre practice Mannan Hira died of cardiac arrest at a city hospital on Wednesday night.

He breathed his last around 8:30pm at Dhaka’s Islami Bank Hospital.

Bangladesh Pothonatok Parishad general secretary Ahammed Gias confirmed the matter.

According to his close aides, Hira had been suffering from cardiac related complications for years. Earlier, he was admitted to hospitals for several times and recovered.

He was doing well in the recent months but he suddenly fell ill on Wednesday night in his Malibagh residence. Immediately he was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Mannan Hira was instrumental in mobilising the street theatre movement across the country. He was the president of Bangladesh Pothonatok Parishad.

He was also the director of country’s celebrated theatre troupe Aranyak Natyadal.

He penned many plays for stage, street theatre and television. Among his most popular plays ‘Lal Jomin’, ‘Bhager Manush’, ‘Moyur Shinghason’, ‘Shada-kalo’, ‘Murkho Loker Murkho Kotha’ are notable.

In 2014, Mannan Hira directed a film for children based on a story of the Liberation war titled ‘Ekattorer Khuidiram’, which was produced by Bangladesh Government.

He also directed two short films— ‘Gorom Bhater Golpo’ and ‘Ekattorer Rongpencil’.

BDST: 1100 HRS, DEC 23, 2020

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