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Published : 13 Aug 2018, 09:56 PM
He passed away at the Singapore General Hospital at 9:25pm on Monday Bangladesh time, Samakal Chief Reporter Loton Ekram told bdnews24.com.
He had been suffering from pneumonia, and heart and kidney complications, the newspaper says.
Sarwar was admitted to the Labaid Hospital in Dhaka on July 29 and airlifted to Singapore on Aug 3 and his condition had improved there.
He was put on life support on Monday afternoon after his blood pressure dropped on Sunday.
Sarwar is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
The government appointed Editors’ Council President Sarwar as chairman of the Press Institute of Bangladesh or PIB in 2015.
File Photo
Born on Apr 1, 1943 at Barishal’s Banariparha, he graduated from the Dhaka University’s Bangla department in the 60s.
Starting his career as a journalist in 1963, he had worked at Dainik Poygam and Dainik Sangbad until the Liberation War started in 1971.
He fought the freedom war in his own area in Barishal.
In 1973, he joined The Daily Ittefaq and worked there until 1999, including two decades as news editor.
The veteran journalist launched two newspapers as editors.
The Daily Jugantor started its journey with Sarwar as editor in 1999 while the Daily Samakal in 2005.
He had also penned books, including rhymes book ‘Rongin Balloon’, compilation of articles ‘Sompadoker Jobanbondi’, ‘Omiyo Gorol’, ‘Amar Joto Kotha’, and ‘Swapna Benche Thak’.
He was also a member of the Bangladesh Film Censor Board’s Appellate Division and had worked as a senior vice-president of the National Press Club several times.
File Photo
Journalists have described the passing of Sarwar as the ‘end of a shining chapter’.
He used to involve himself from planning news to editing, makeup and printing – all the jobs in publishing news, a journalist who had worked under Sarwar, said.
Sarwar is the pioneer in the journey of Bangladesh’s newspaper business blossoming from an amateurish, cottage industry-like sector into a fully-fledged media industry, his colleagues said.
Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, a journalist union leader who had worked with Sarwar, said: “Fantastic headlines and makeup came easy to him.”
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have condoled the death of Sarwar.
“His death is an irreparable loss for Bangladesh’s media,” Hamid said in a message.
The prime minister remembered Sarwar’s contribution to upholding the spirit of the Liberation War.
“He was also active in all the movements to press for journalists’ rights and demands,” Hasina said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, and State Minister for Information Tarana Halim also mourned the senior journalist.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the party’s National Standing Committee Member and former information minister Tariqul Islam also sent condolence message.
The Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists President Molla Jalal, Secretary General Shaban Mahmood, the Dhaka Union of Journalists President Abu Jafor Surjo, and General Secretary Sohel Haider Chowdhury mourned the death of Sarwar in a joint message.
