DHAKA — Thousands of Bangladeshi music fans gathered in the capital on Friday to mourn the sudden death of one of the country’s most famous rock stars.

Ayub Bachchu, widely known as AB among his fans, started his music career in 1978 and was one of the pioneers of the celebrated underground rock music scene in Bangladesh.

The 57-year-old was also credited with introducing the blues music genre to Bangladeshi audiences and created several smash-hit rock tracks with his band Love Runs Blind.

He was declared dead at a Dhaka hospital after a cardiac arrest on Thursday.

Fans grieved on social media over the passing of Bachchu, one of the major patrons of the rock genre in the conservative South Asian country.

Over 10,000 people took to the streets in the capital’s Shahid Minar neighborhood with flowers to pay homage to the guitar maestro.

“He stood tall and will stand tall with his songs,” said reputed musician Hamin Ahmed.

“He will be missed!”

Bangladesh’s president, prime minister and culture minister also all paid tribute.

Thousands of people attended his funeral prayers for Bachchu in Dhaka before his body was taken to the port city of Chittagong, his hometown, where he will be laid to rest.

“This is an untimely demise of such a legend,” transport minister Obaidul Quader told reporters as he paid homage to the rock star. — AFP