Celebrated painter and Swadhinata Padak recipient Qayyum Chowdhury passed away at a city hospital on Sunday night. He was 80.

Chowdhury fell sick and collapsed on  the stage of Bengal Classical Music Festival at the Army Stadium at about 8:30pm.

He was immediately rushed to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) where the doctors declared him dead.

Festival organisers said the eminent artist fell onto the stage unconscious while addressing the programme and became unconscious. he received head injuries, they added.

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