Renowned actor and founder of the “Nirapad Sarak Chai” movement, Ilias Kanchan, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
He has been ill for the past seven months and has been undergoing treatment in London for the last six months.
Ilias Kanchan’s son Mirajul Moin shared the information while virtually attending a press conference from Canada. Nirapad Sarak Chai organised the press conference on 1st October.
He said, My father (Ilias Kanchan) has been in London since 26 April solely for medical treatment. Earlier this year, he faced several health issues, and when his condition worsened, family members admitted him to a private hospital in Dhaka on 9 April. After various tests, an MRI of his brain revealed a tumour.
Mirajul added, Even before that, father often had difficulty in speaking and remembering things. The MRI confirmed that these issues were caused by the tumour. On 13 April, we took the report to the National Institute of Neurosciences in Agargaon, where a medical board concluded that brain surgery would be highly critical, as the tumour was located deep inside at a junction of vital nerves. After hearing this opinion, the family decided to take him to London for treatment. Following that decision, all necessary documents were prepared, and he left Dhaka for London on 26 April.
Updating on the latest treatment in London, Mirajul said, the very next day after his arrival, he was admitted under a neurosurgeon at Harley Street Clinic. After three months of extensive tests, on 5 August, a surgery was conducted at Wellington Hospital in London under Professor Dimitrios. However, physicians had already informed us that the entire tumour could not be removed, as doing so risked paralysis, loss of mobility, speech, or even death. Trusting the decision of physicians, the family allowed them to remove only part of the tumour. The remaining part will be neutralised through radiation and chemotherapy. He needs a total of 30 sessions of radiation and chemotherapy, to be administered five days a week over six weeks. This phase of treatment will begin this month and continue for six weeks. Afterwards, he will remain under observation for four weeks. Once the physicians permit, we hope he will be able to return to Bangladesh.
On behalf of Nirapad Sarak Chai, acting chairman Mirajul Moin requested the people of the country to pray for the recovery of his father, Ilias Kanchan.