Aly Zaker (6 November 1944 – 27 November 2020) was a Bangladeshi actor, businessman, director and writer. He was the owner of Asiatic Marketing Communications Limited (Asiatic 3 Sixty). Zaker served as a freedom fighter during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. He was one of the trustees of

Liberation War Museum The Liberation War Museum () is a museum at Agargaon in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, which commemorates the Bangladesh Liberation War that led to the independence of Bangladesh from Pakistan. History The Liberation War Museum began under t ...

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. In 1999 Zakar was awarded the prestigious

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

award by the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

, which is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh. Aly Zaker, who had cancer, died at Dhaka's United Hospital at 6:45am on 27 November 2020. He was being treated for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

Early life and education

Zaker was born on 6 November 1944 to a

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

family in Ratanpur, Nabinagar (now in

Brahmanbaria District Brahmanbaria District () is a district in eastern Bangladesh located in the Chittagong Division. Geographically, it is mostly farmland and is topographically part of the Gangetic Plain. It is bounded by the districts of Kishoreganj District, Kish ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

). Among four siblings, he was the third of his parents – Muhammad Taher and Rezia Taher. Muhammad Taher was a high ranked government official (District Magistrate). He experienced the diversity of life living in different places since his early childhood as his father was in a transferable government job. He spent his early childhood in

Kushtia Kushtia () is a city located on the banks of the Gorai River in Bangladesh. It serves as the headquarters of Kushtia District and is considered the cultural capital of Bangladesh. The city is known for its Tiler Khaja (sesame sweets), kulf ...

and

Madaripur Madaripur is a town in Dhaka division in south-central Bangladesh. It is the headquarters of Madaripur District. It is named for Shah Madar, a Sufi saint who spread Islam in the region. Demographics According to the 2022 Bangladesh census ...

. The family later moved to

Khulna Khulna (, ) is the third-largest city in Bangladesh, after Dhaka and Chittagong. It is the administrative centre of the Khulna District and the Khulna Division. It is the divisional centre of 10 districts of the division. Khulna is also the seco ...

and lived there for a couple of years until they moved to

. He completed his

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...

from the St. Gregory's High School in 1960, and proceeded to study at the

Notre Dame College Notre Dame College (Notre Dame College of Ohio or NDC) was a private Roman Catholic college in South Euclid, Ohio. Established in 1922 by the Sisters of Notre Dame as a women's college, it was coeducational from January 2001 until its closure ...

. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in social science from the

University of Dacca The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka was founded in 1921 ...

Personal life

Zaker was married to Sara Zaker who is also a media personality, entrepreneur, and social activist. Together they had two children –

Iresh Zaker Iresh Zaker (; born 6 November 1976) is a Bangladeshi advertising executive, television and film actor and a musician. He is the managing director of Asiatic 360, a marketing and advertising company, owned and operated by his parents, actors Aly ...

and Sriya Sharbojoya. Both Iresh and Sriya are working in Asiatic Marketing Communications Limited as executive director and brand communication manager respectively. While Sara Zaker is the deputy managing director of the company.

Professional life

Acting

Zaker was famed for his theatre acting, with his career spanning many decades. He was founding member of the theatre group, Nagorik where he worked alongside his wife Sara Zaker and the celebrated actor and politician

Asaduzzaman Noor Asaduzzaman Noor (born 31 October 1946) is a Bangladeshi actor, politician and activist. He was a Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Nilphamari-2 constituency during 2001–2024 and served as the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (Bangladesh), c ...

since the 1970s. In 2018 Zakar played the leading role in a Bangla adaptation of Bertolt Brecht's 1943 play The Life of Galileo. Zakar played the role of the 17th Century polymath,

Galileo Galilei Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei ( , , ) or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a poly ...

, alongside

, who played a number of supporting roles. The play ran for a limited number of performances in Dhaka's Bailey Road.

Business

Zaker was the group chairman of Asiatic 3Sixty, an advertising agency in Bangladesh. It includes Asiatic Marketing Communications Ltd, Talkingpoint, MEC (media agency), Maxus, Asiatic Mindshare, ForthoughtPR, Dhoni Chitra Ltd, 20 Miles, Nayantara Communications, Asiatic Events Ltd, Moitree Printers Ltd., MRC-Mode Ltd.

Work

;Television drama * ''Pathar Shomoy'' * ''

Bohubrihi ''Bohubrihi'' is a Bangladeshi television Drama series created by Humayun Ahmed, which aired on Bangladesh Television from 1988, to 1989. Adapted from the novel by the same name, the series quickly gained widespread popularity for its engaging st ...

'' * '' Aaj Robibaar'' * '' Nitu Tomaye Bhalobasi'' * ''Ekdin Hothat'' * '' Nokkhotrer Raat'' (Guest Appearance) ;Theatre * ''Dewan Gazir Kissa'' * ''Acholayatan'' * ''Chhayanaut'' * ''Kanthal Bagan'' (Cherry Orchard) ;Films * ''

Agami Agami ( ', mostly shortened to ; full name: ) is a city in the Alexandria Governorate of Egypt. west of Alexandria, the town is a popular destination for both local Alexandrians and tourists in Giza and Cairo. Overview The city started as ...

'' (1984) * ''

Nodir Naam Modhumoti ''Nodir Naam Modhumoti'' (translated as ''The River Named Modhumoti'') is a 1996 Bangladeshi Bengali language film directed by Tanvir Mokammel. The film, produced and distributed by Kino-Eye Films, stars a notable cast with Tauquir Ahmed, Aly Z ...

'' (1996) * "Brishtee" * '' Rabeya'' (2008)

Awards

(1999) * Selim Al-Deen Padak (2017) * Shaheed Altaf Mahmud Padak (2017) *

Meril Prothom Alo Awards The ''Meril-Prothom Alo Awards'', or simply ''Prothom Alo Awards'', is an annual Bangladeshi awards ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in Bangladeshi Film Industry. The awards are divided into two components, Viewers' Choice and Critics ...

(2018)

References

1944 births 2020 deaths Bangladeshi male television actors Bangladeshi theatre directors Bangladeshi male film actors Bangladeshi male stage actors 20th-century Bangladeshi male actors Recipients of the Ekushey Padak in arts Notre Dame College, Dhaka alumni Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime Achievement Award winners Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh University of Dhaka alumni 21st-century Bangladeshi male actors Bangladeshi radio personalities People of the Bangladesh Liberation War 20th-century Bengalis 21st-century Bengalis St. Gregory's High School and College alumni People from Nabinagar Upazila {{Bangladesh-actor-stub