Bangabandhu’s press secretary Badsha dies

Press Secretary to Bangladesh’s founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Aminul Haque Badsha has died after prolonged illness. He was 73.

He died at London’s Orpington Hospital on Monday night (local time).

Badsha, one of the key organisers of ‘Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra’, had been suffering cardiac problems for a while.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a condolence message said he was very close to Bangabandhu and that the nation had lost a patriot in his death.

Born on Jan 28, 1942 at Kushtia, he got involved with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in the ‘60s during his Dhaka University days.

Badsha was the general secretary of East Pakistan BCL unit and was incarcerated for his role in the anti-Ayub Khan movement.

His career in journalism started as Kushtia correspondent for Daily Azadi in 1957.

In 1969, he was made Bangabandhu’s press secretary.

He left Bangladesh for UK after Bangabandhu’s assassination in 1975.

In his late life, he worked as a freelance journalist. He was known as a social worker in Tower Hamlets.

He is survived by wife and two children.