Baby Maudud: Honest, brave and caring

Apart from her 66-year-long career in journalism, writing, social work and politics, she had always been a leading organiser and rights activist.

Halim Sumonbdnews24.com
Published : 25 July 2014, 05:03 PM
Updated : 26 July 2014, 03:47 AM

Because of her love and devotion for people in every aspect of life, Baby Maudud had become everyone’s favourite ‘Baby Apa’.

Senior journalist AN Mahfuza Khatun, better known as Baby Maudud, died at a Dhaka hospital on Friday after a long battle with cancer. She was 66.

She was the Social Affairs Editor at bdnews24.com.

Maudud was, in bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi’s words, “.....an extraordinarily honest, brave and caring person”.

She was born in Kolkata on June 23, 1948.

She was born to Abdul Maudud, a judge, and Hedayet-un-Nisa. She was the third among six brothers and three sisters.

Maudud grew up in an environment of erudition, which left a permanent impression on her thoughts and ideas.

In the late 60s she went to Dhaka University. During those fiery days before the Liberation War she entered the arena of student politics.

During the tumultuous times of the 1969 mass uprising, she was a member of East Pakistan Students' Union. In 1971 she worked with poet Sufia Kamal.

Before she earned her honours and masters from Dhaka University, she was the convener of East Pakistan Students Council (Rawalpindi) from 1964 to 1967. She also served as a member of the Rokeya Hall student council from 1967-68.

In 1991, she became a vocal member of the movement for prosecution of war criminals. She was assaulted by police during one of the protests.

Maudud, a classmate of Sheikh Hasina, was an intimate friend of Bangabandhu's family. After her death, Hasina rushed to the hospital. In a condolence message issued from her office, she said she had lost an old and trusted friend.

Despite her various endeavours, Baby Maudud always identified herself as a journalist first.

After she was elected a reserved seat MP in 2011, she said in an interview that she had never had any dream or aspiration of becoming an MP.

"I never thought about it. I have always tried to work as a journalist on issues in our politics and society as much as I can," she said.

Baby Maudud began her career as a journalist in the '60s as a reporter for Daily Ittefaq and Chitrali. Then she went on to be an assistant editor and reporter for the Weekly Lalana.

Later Baby Maudud worked for the BBC, Weekly Runner, Daily Ganabangla, Daily Sangbad, Ittefaq, BSS, and Weekly Bichitra before joining bdnews24.com in 2009.

She had always been an outspoken rights activist. She was a lifetime member of the National Women and Children Development Council.

She was a founder of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad and a lifetime member of Bangla Academy.

Maudud was also a member of Dhaka Union of Journalists, Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Fund and Bangladesh Asiatic Society.

She left behind two sons, Rabiul Hasan Avi and Shafiul Hasan Dipto.

Maudud loved to read books, listen to music and travel. Writing was one of her lifetime habits too.

She wrote regularly on different publications and authored several books, mostly for children.