The first namaz-e-janaza of prolific writer Syed Shamsul Haque was held at a private television channel premises in Dhaka on Wednesday morning.

National Poetry Council’s General Secretary Tarique Sujat said Syed Haque’s first namaz-e-janaza began at Channel-i at 10:05am. Later, the poet’s body was taken to Bangla Academy premises. After that, Shamsul Haque’s body will be kept at Central Shaheed Minar for people to pay their last tributes.

The second namaz-e-janaza of the Bangla Academy award winner poet will be held at Dhaka University central mosque after the Zuhr prayer.

Syed Shamsul Haque’s body will be airlifted to his own village in Kurigram, where he will be buried.

The versatile writer passed away at a city hospital on Tuesday evening. He was 81.

Haque, who had long been fighting with deadly lung cancer, breathed his last at United Hospital at about 5:26am.

He left behind his wife Anwara Syed Haque, son Ditio Syed-Haque, daughter Bidita Sadi and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.

On 15 April, the writer went to London for treatment at Royal Marsden Hospital, and returned home on 2 September as doctors there found no hope for his cure of cancer.

On return home, he had been undergoing treatment at United Hospital.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock at his demise.