Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman laid to rest

Dhaka, Feb 27 (bdnews24.com)—Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman, described by the chief adviser as a beacon of Bangladesh journalism, was laid to rest at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard Wednesday.

People from a broader spectrum of society paid homage to the late editor of the Bangla-language daily at the National Press Club.

From the Press Club, the coffin was taken to the Central Shaheed Minar, where it was kept to allow people to pay their last respects to the late editor.

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed expressed sorrow at the death of Rahman and described him as a beacon of Bangladesh journalism and as an example of utmost dedication to the profession.

"The death of this progressive professional has caused irreparable loss, not only to the newspaper he had served for almost five decades, but also to his country," the chief adviser said.

Fakhruddin recalled Rahman's heroic role in the War of Liberation.

The first namaz-e-janaza for Rahman was held in the Nakla High School ground in Sherpur Wednesday, the second at his Dhaka home and the last at the National Press Club.

Rahman died of a heart attack at the age of 67 shortly before midnight Tuesday at the Ibrahim Cardiac Centre.

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

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 graduated in economics from Dhaka University.

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

In a TV programme, Samakal deputy editor Mozammel Hossain Manzu, who had worked with Rahman for quite some time, said that 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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