Thousands of admirers and fellow musicians were gathering at the Sunamganj village home of legendary musician 'Baul Samrat' Shah Abdul Karim, following his death on Saturday at the age of 93. The grand old master of Baul passed away at a Sylhet clinic at 7:58am, doctors said.

Given the title of 'Baul Samrat' or 'Baul King' by the people, Karim left over a thousand songs, including the famous Gari Cholena Cholena, to the mystic folk song tradition of the Bengal region. Karim's only son Shah Noor Jalal told bdnews24.com that his father was admitted to the Noor Jahan Poly Clinic in Sylhet city on Sept 3. He had been on life support there since noon Friday after his health worsened.

"He had been suffering from respiratory problems, due to a lung infection, among other old-age complications," Karim's doctor Faisal Ahmed told bdnews24.com. Prime minister Sheikh Hasina expressed deep sadness on hearing of the death. "His passing away is an irreparable loss for Bangali culture," she said in a condolence message. Baul Abdur Rahman, who studied under the great Baul master, said he was a disciple of Karim's for over 30 years. "I saw him from my earliest childhood. When he was absorbed in his music he became unaware of the world around him. His only devotion was to music," said Rahman.

Sumon Kumar Das, who has studied the man's life, told bdnews24.com the philosophy of the Baul master remained an inspiration to Bangladeshis. "His death is an irreplaceable loss. He will live in our hearts forever for his unmatchable works," said Das, who has published three books on the life and work of the mystic poet and musician. "If I studied the great man my whole life I would not run out of subject matter," said Das.

Finance minister AMA Muhith, in a book on Karim, said the musician had been very much a part of contemporary worldly events too, notwithstanding his intense spirituality. "He was also the pioneer of many progressive movements," Muhith said in the book. "He contributed many songs to mass movements of the region ... He was directly involved in many of the movements and in the war."

Abdul Karim was born in the village of Ujandhol on the banks of the Kalni River in Sunamganj on February 15, 1916. He was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of the highest civilian honours in the country, in 2001. Much of Karim's vast catalogue of over 1,500 songs is available in a collection of six volumes, among them the popular Gramer Noujowan Hindu Musalman, Maya Lagaise and Boshonto Batashe. Nurul Haque, a resident of Ujandhol, said the whole community was proud of their famous son. "We take great pride in the fact that such a great Baul king was born in our village. A light has been extinguished in the world," said Haque.

-bdnews