Eminent artist Murtaja Baseer passed away at a hospital in the capital on Saturday morning. He was 88.

He breathed his last at the intensive care unit of the Evercare Hospital at around 9:10am while undergoing treatment.

Photographer Mohammad Asad, family friend of the deceased, confirmed the news.

The national award-winning artist was found infected with the Covid-19 on Friday night.

Earlier on Thursday night, he was admitted to the hospital whit heart kidney and lungs complications.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Saturday expressed deep shock and sorrow at the death of eminent artist Murtaja Baseer.

In a condolence message, the minister prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

Murtaja Baseer is considered one of the foremost painters of Bangladesh. He is known for working with abstract realism. The Wings and Epitaph for the Martyrs series are among the finest works of the artist. He is the son of scholar and linguist Dr Muhammad Shahidullah.

Murtaza Bashir was born in Dhaka’s Ramna in 1932. He was the chairman of the Fine Arts Department at Chattogram University.

A pioneer of surrealistic art, Bashir has done many famous paintings, including ‘Dewal,’ ‘Shahid Shironam,’ and ‘Pakha’.

He received the Ekushey Padak in 1980 for his contribution to art. He also received the Swadhinata Puroshkar in 2019.