Mustafa Monwar, the pioneering figure of Bangladesh’s puppetry movement and one of the country’s most distinguished painters, is in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of a Dhaka hospital, his family said.

The 90-year-old was admitted to Square Hospital on June 14 after his condition deteriorated suddenly, his wife Merry Monwar told local media. His blood pressure and oxygen saturation had dropped to alarmingly low levels, and doctors considered his condition critical before transferring him to the ICU after initial tests.

Monwar has remained under intensive monitoring for four days. His family said he had long suffered from age-related health complications and had previously been placed on life support in September 2024. His condition worsened again recently after he contracted pneumonia.

Monwar is widely known as the father or pioneer of puppet theatre in Bangladesh. He began his career as an art teacher but earned national recognition for his creative children’s programming on the state broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV), which shaped the childhoods of successive generations.

He was awarded the Ekushey Padak, one of the country’s highest civilian honours, in 2004 for his contribution to art and culture, and received the Sultan Gold Medal from the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in 2018. His family has asked the public to pray for his swift recovery.