Piash Karim passes away

Staff Reporter :Dr Piash Karim, a professor of BRAC University, died of cardiac arrest at a city hospital on Monday morning. He was 56. Also known as a right leaning political analyst who often took part in talk shows on different TV channels, Piash Karim had complained of severe chest pain around 3:00 Sunday night at his Dhanmondi residence, his brother Zahir Karim said. Later, he was taken to the Square Hospital early this morning where the duty doctors declared him dead. Dr Mollika Sarker, a doctor at the emergency department of the hospital, said that Piash Karim had breathed his last before he was brought to the hospital. “After examining his body, we assume he suffered a heart attack.” His body was kept at the hospital mortuary, as the decision about his burial will be finalised after his three sisters, living in the USA, Canada and India, return home.According to the family members, the body of Piash Karim would be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 11:00 am to 1:00pm tomorrow (Wednesday) enabling people from all walks of life to pay their last respect. His namaz-e-janaza will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Zohr prayers on the day.A professor of Economics and Social Sciences at BRAC University, Piash Karim is survived by wife Amena Mohsin, a professor of Dhaka University’s International Affairs Department, and one son.Hailing from Comilla, he obtained his PhD in Sociology from Kansas State University in the USA. He shot into limelight for his performance on television panel discussions as a moderate political analyst.Piash Karim got involved with the camp of leftist writers and Marxist movement after the independence. He also studied the subject abroad. But he got involved with right camp from few years ago. Piash Karim came under fire by different quarters for his comments against Sahahbagh Gonojagoron Mancha and the trial procedure of the International War Crimes Tribunals.Meanwhile, BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, the party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and president of Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh Prof Dr Badrudduza Chowdhury expressed profound shock at the death of Piash Karim.Hearing his death news, his university colleagues, students, eminent citizens and political leaders visited his residence and consoled bereaved family members. They included Mirza Fakhrul, former VC of Dhaka University Prof Dr Emajuddin Ahmed, DU Professor Dr Asif Nazrul, columnist Farhad Mazhar, Manabzamin editor Motiur Rahman Chowdhury, New Age editor Nurul Kabir, senior journalist Mahfuzullah and Barrister Tuhin Malik.