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Published : 06 Feb 2026, 10:23 PM
Veteran journalist and television commentator Zakaria Kajal has died just a day before his younger daughter’s wedding reception.
The 67-year-old breathed his last at Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Hospital in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.
He had been struggling with diabetes as well as kidney and liver issues for a long period.
Kajal served as chief reporter of bdnews24.com for about a year during 2007–08. He later went on to hold the position of head of news at Jamuna Television.
He was a former president of the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) and at one point also carried out duties as acting secretary general of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ).
Family members said Kajal’s younger daughter was married a few months ago, with her wedding reception scheduled for Saturday.
Preparations for the wedding were under way when he was admitted to hospital in late January, but all plans were called off after his death.
Kajal is survived by his wife and two daughters. Both of his children lived abroad, and his elder daughter had travelled from Sydney specifically to attend her sister’s reception.
His younger brother Mohammad Sohel told bdnews24.com that the first Namaj-e-Janaza (funeral prayer) would be held after Isha prayers on Friday in the Bashundhara Residential Area.
Two more funeral prayers are scheduled for Saturday after Zuhr, one at the National Press Club and another outside the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), before burial at Banani graveyard.
Born on Dec 16, 1959, in Brahmanbaria, Kajal completed his Master’s degree in journalism at Dhaka University.
He worked for newspapers including The Daily Azad, The Daily Inqilab and The Daily Observer, before moving into television journalism.
ERF President Daulot Akter Mala and General Secretary Abul Kashem have expressed their condolences in a statement.
DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel sent messages of sympathy to the bereaved family.
