Fashion designer and Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) Vice President Emdad Hoque passed away at a city hospital on Friday. He was 57.
He died at the Bangladesh Specialized Hospital, Shyamoli in the capital due to a recent heart attack.
The eminent fashion designer was undergoing life support due to multiple health complications for the last couple of days, according to FDCB General Secretary Shaibal Saha.
Shaibal said that Hoque was suffering from kidney complications, asthma and other issues.
“He suffered a heart attack and was taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on November 2. He was put on life support for the last couple of days and was about to fly to Kolkata, India for better treatment, but unfortunately suffered a second heart attack two days ago and was put on life support again. He passed away at 2:16 pm today,” Shaibal told UNB.
His body is being taken to his ancestral home at Urdu Road, Old Dhaka. His namaz-e-janaza will take place after the Esha prayer and he will be buried at the Banani Graveyard, Saha informed.
A lifelong advocate for local handicraft-based fashion in Bangladesh, Emdad Hoque was the founder of Fashion Pathshala, a school of fashion and art. He was also the managing director of Studio Emdad, the director of Banglar Mela Limited, and a consultant for Raspberry Textile. He also worked as a Jury board member in many fashion contests and was respectfully recognized for his contribution to the fashion industry of Bangladesh.
Starting his career in the 1980s’ as a fashion columnist, Hoque joined BRAC as a Program Officer in 1992 in a development programme to monitor and develop rural sericulture in Bangladesh. He became the manager of BRAC’s textile department in 1993 and was especially involved in the production of cotton check fabrics for the Ready Made Garments (RMG) industry as well as developing silk fabrics for the popular fashion brand Aarong.
Hoque later joined Grameen Uddyog as Chief Product Development officer. He formed Banglar Mela, a rural craft store in Bangladesh in 2001. He has relentlessly worked with the handloom industry of Bangladesh, to develop fine jute yarn and also served as the Vice President of FDCB for the betterment of the industry, alongside its President and eminent fashion icon Maheen Khan.
In recognition of his contribution to portraying traditional culture mingling with a western look at the international level and sharing his experiences among the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, Hoque received a lifetime achievement award from the Designers forum of Chittagong. He also received awards from the Bangladesh Cine Journalists Association, RTV, and Persona Bangladesh for his work as an eminent designer and fashion entrepreneur.
