Sheikh Nazrul Islam, the prolific filmmaker behind "Chander Alo", "Chabuk", and "Masum", has died at 81.
He passed away shortly after 12:30 am on Saturday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dhaka, industry sources confirmed. The Directors' Association's deputy secretary, Apurbo Rana, verified the news to the media. He had been hospitalised on November 16 after suffering a mild stroke and had remained under treatment since.
Born on November 7, 1944, Sheikh Nazrul Islam began his career assisting Khan Ataur Rahman and Zahir Raihan. Over the following decades, he established himself as a rare multi-hyphenate—credited not only as director but also as storywriter, dialogue writer, screenwriter, lyricist, and actor.
His directorial work spans a wide range of commercial and social dramas, including "Chabuk", "Chand", "Yatim", "Nagin", "Masum", "Eid Mubarak", "Asha", "Poriborton", "Notun Prithibi", "Didar", "Salma", "Bou-Shashuri", "Kosom", "Bidhata", "Strir Pawna", "Chander Alo", "Chander Hasi", "Chokro", "Singho Purush", "Shob Khatam", "Damon", "Jochonar Prem", and "Ma Boro Na Bou Boro".
He also appeared on-screen, notably in the 1960s film "Sat Bhai Champa", later acting in several projects and contributing to Zahir Raihan's unfinished "Let There Be Light", both behind the camera and in a small acting role.
His body was taken to his ancestral home in Kaliganj, Natore, early Sunday morning. After funeral prayers, he will be laid to rest at the family cemetery. He leaves behind his wife and two children.
News of his death has drawn condolences from actors, directors, guilds and organisations across the film industry, who hailed his decades-long contribution to Bangladeshi cinema—both in front of and behind the camera.