Ekushey Padak-winning poet Asad Chowdhury died at a hospital in Canada early Thursday (Canada local time). He was 80.

The poet ‘died at 3:03am Canada time’ and ‘at 1:03pm Bangladesh time’, the poet’s son-in-law Nadim Iqbal posted on facebook Thursday afternoon.

The poet died at the Lakeridge Health Oshawa in Ontario, Canada where he was undergoing treatment for blood cancer, people close to the poet’s family said.

The poet had been suffering from blood cancer since November in 2022, and he was admitted to the hospital several times recently.

Born in 1943, poet Asad Chowdhury started his profession as a lecturer of Bangla language and literature at Brahmanbaria College in 1973.

He served as the director at the Bangla Academy. He is a life member of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.

His notable collections of poems include Tabak Deya Pan, Bitto Nai Besat Nai, Ekka Dokka, Joler Madhye Lekhajokha, Je Pare Paruk, Modhya Math Theke, Megher Julum Pakhir Julum, Nadio Bibastro Hoy, Premer Kabita, Batash Jemon Parichito, Brishtir Sansare Ami Keo Noi and others.