Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman dies

Bazlur Rahman, a journalist who had followed his career to the fullest, died of a heart attack at the age of 67 shortly before Tuesday midnight. Rahman, husband of Awami League presidium member Motia Chowdhury, had worked for Bangla-language daily Sangbad until the last day in his life. Rahman gained popularity by writing regular articles on the economy, besides contributing to different other areas of journalism. Later he found himself too involved with the management of the newspaper and—finally, too busy as its editor—to continue as a regular economic writer. Rahman spent a significant spell of time working for Bangla-language newspaper Ekota, which acted as a mouthpiece for the evolving communist movement before Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

Dhaka, Feb 27 (bdnews24.com)—The editor of Bangla-language daily Sangbad, Bazlur Rahman, died of a heart attack at the age of 67 shortly before Tuesday midnight, his colleagues said.

Rahman, husband of Awami League presidium member Motia Chowdhury, was taken to BIRDEM hospital from Dhaka Club, where he suffered a heart attack.

The body of Rahman is to be driven overnight to his home village in Nakla upazila of Sherpur.

The first namaz-e-janaza will take place at the Nakla High School ground at 8am, Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed, who rushed to BIRDEM, told reporters in a news briefing.

The body will be driven back to Dhaka for burial at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard.

Before the late afternoon burial, the body of Rahman will be taken home to his Eastern Housing apartment at Moghbazar in the capital, and then to the office of Sangbad an hour later for colleagues to pay their last respects.

At 1:00pm Wednesday, the body will be carried to the National Press Club for another namaz-e-janaza.

The body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar for two hours from 2pm for public view, Rahman's colleagues said in a press briefing.

Rahman gained popularity by writing regular articles on the economy which one of his readers said were easy to understand, besides contributing to different other areas of journalism. Rahman had graduated in economics from Dhaka University.

Later he got too involved with the management of the newspaper to continue as a regular economic writer.

In a TV programme, Samokal deputy editor Mozammel Hossain Manzu, who had worked with Rahman for quite some time, said Rahman was a "man with a great sense of humour".

"Bazlur Rahman had never deviated from his professionalism as a journalist," he said.

Rahman had always tried to ensure a transparent editorial policy, said Mozammel Hossain.

"A newspaper must have news absolutely based on facts, but editorials will carry the opinions of the newspaper itself. But the editorial policy must be transparent," Mozammel Hossain said of the principles Rahman had followed throughout his career.

"We have lost a guardian," Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul, executive editor of Sangbad, told reporters at BIRDEM.

Rahman was born to the family of Abdur Rahman and Raisunnesa in Char Niamat village of Fulpur upazila in Mymensingh on Aug 3, 1941.

Bazlur Rahman joined Sangbad when it was located in Bangsal in the city.

He spent a significant period of time working for Bangla-language newspaper Ekota, which acted as a mouthpiece for the evolving communist movement before Bangladesh's independence in 1971.

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