Abul Hayat and Tariq Anam Khan honour Jamal Uddin Hossain

Veteran actor and Ekushey Padak awardee Jamal Uddin Hossain, 81, passed away yesterday while undergoing pneumonia treatment at a hospital in Canada.
He had travelled from Atlanta, USA, to visit his son Tashfin Hossain’s home in Calgary, Canada. On September 18, he was admitted to the hospital after he fell ill.
Jamal Uddin was an engineer by profession. After graduating from BUET, the passionate artiste joined the renowned theatre group Nagorik Natya Sampradaya and began acting in stage plays in the ’70s.
In addition to being an actor, he was also a theatre director and directed several notable plays on the Dhaka stage.
After leaving Nagorik Natya Sampradaya, he eventually founded the Nagorik Natyangan Ensemble. He was a presidium member of the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation. He acted in many popular dramas on BTV as well.
Some notable plays he directed on the Dhaka stage include “Chand Boniker Pala”, “Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi”, “Raja Rani”, “Bibi Saheb”, and “Jugalbandi”.
His direction of “Chand Boniker Pala” brought him significant acclaim on the Dhaka stage. Many of the plays he directed reached their 100th performance — a testament to his success.
For the past 15 years, he had mostly been sporadic in acting. During this time, he was actively travelling back and forth between the United States and Canada. His wife, Rowshan Ara Hossain, is a renowned actress. Their son, Tashfin Hossain, is a professor at a university in Canada, while their daughter lives in the United States.
He was deeply devoted to theatre and dedicated his life entirely to it. He balanced both acting and directing stage plays with equal passion. At one point, he also served as the Radio and Television Drama Parliament president.
The artiste actively participated in political and cultural movements, often marching in rallies. He was also present at the Shaheed Minar during theatre movements. Both “Chand Boniker Pala” and “All My Sons” were once selected as the best plays of that particular year. That same year, he won the BACHSAS Award for Best Director.
His Nagorik Natyangan Ensemble included theatre groups from Bangladesh and Kolkata. His last performance was of “Tora Shob Joydhoni Kor”, written by Syed Shamsul Haque, staged in New York.
Actor Abul Hayat and the late actor grew up together. “He was my childhood friend. We grew up in Chattogram’s Tiger Pass and studied in the same primary school. We have endless memories together. The first play I did was with Jamal, back when we were in primary school,” he said when he spoke with The Daily Star yesterday. “To me, he was always Mintu. We worked extensively in both theatre and television. Today, one of my closest friends left us. I pray for his departed soul.”
Renowned actor Tariq Anam Khan remarked, “In this country, a few highly educated people started acting when he began his journey as an artiste. I was impressed by his performances on stage, particularly his remarkable portrayal of the police officer in ‘Dewan Gazir Kissa’.”
He also mentioned, “We collaborated in ‘Macbeth’, and his acting ability was exceptional. He was my senior, yet he was a good friend. Hearing about his passing has been deeply saddening.”
Jamal Uddin Hossain notably authored an autobiographical book titled “Amar Jibon Amar Sujon”, which is sure to provide an in-depth look at certain significant points of his life.
According to his son, Tashfin Hossain, he was laid to rest in Canada’s Calgary yesterday after his Janazah prayers post-Zuhr.