Senior journalist Mahbubul Alam dies

Former editor of ‘The Independent’ newspaper and an advisor to the caretaker government of 2007, Mahbubul Alam, has died at a Dhaka hospital.

He was 78.

He passed away at 9:25am on Friday at the BIRDEM hospital, his former colleague Golam Tahabur told bdnews24.com.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently in China on a five-day official visit, has offered condolences over Alam’s death, conveying profound sympathy to the bereaved family. President Md Abdul Hamid and BNP chief Khaleda Zia, too, condoled the senior journalist's death.

The senior journalist was suffering from old-age complications and had been kept on life support for the past three days, he said.

The National Press Club’s president and general secretary also expressed condolences in a statement. Former information minister M Shamsul Islam and Dhaka City’s first mayor Abul Hasnat issued separate statements.

Alam, the information affairs advisor to the 2007 caretaker government, is survived by his wife and three daughters who currently live in the US.

Tahabur said the decision to bury Alam would be taken once they arrive in Bangladesh on Saturday.

His body was taken to his younger brother’s residence at Gulshan around Friday noon.

Alam’s first namaz-e-janaza is scheduled after the Asr prayers at the Gulshan Azad Mosque.

Born 1936 in Munshiganj, Alam graduated in political science from the Dhaka University.

He set off on his journalist career in 1953 with the Associates Press of Pakistan. In course of time, he went on to edit the ‘New Nation’, and weekly ‘Dialogue’. His last workplace was ‘The Independent’.

Alam worked as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s press secretary for a brief while.

He was also with the press wings of the Bangladesh High Commission in UK and the Washington embassy.

The Atish Dipankar awardee was the director general of the external affairs division at the foreign ministry under the regime of military dictator HM Ershad.

Alam, the former editor-in-chief and managing director of state-run news agency BSS, was also Bangladesh’s ambassador to Bhutan.