The country’s famous cartoonist Narayan Debnath died in a Kolkata hospital on Tuesday morning after prolonged illness. Narayan Debnath was the creator of the comic characters Bantul the Great, Handa-Bonda and Nonte-Fonte. Debnath has passed away at the age of 97. A hospital official said that Padma Shri awardee Debnath breathed his last at 10.15 am. He was admitted to a private hospital on December 24 and was on ventilator. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed grief over his death.
Expressing grief, CM Mamata Banerjee said, “It is very sad that Narayan Debnath, a renowned writer, cartoonist and creator of some immortal characters for the children’s world, has passed away. He also wrote Bantul the Great, Handa-Bonda, Non. -Fonte-like cartoons that have been etched in our hearts for decades. We are proud to have honored him with the Bang Bhushan, the highest award in Bengal, in 2013, Banerjee wrote.
His passing is certainly an irreparable loss to literary creativity and the world of comics. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, readers and countless fans and followers. His health had improved slightly on Monday, but on Tuesday morning his health started deteriorating. Veteran writer and artist Debnath’s BP had increased.