DU to honour Baby Maudud posthumously with ‘Bangabandhu Gold Medal’

Dhaka University’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Research Institute for Peace and Liberty has decided to honour the eminent journalist with the award

Dhaka University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 28 March 2023, 07:21 AM
Updated : 28 March 2023, 07:21 AM

Dhaka University’s Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Research Institute for Peace and Liberty has decided to posthumously honour eminent journalist and former Awami League lawmaker AN Mahfuza Khatun Baby Maudud with the first ‘Bangabandhu Gold Medal’.

A panel formed for the nomination of the award finalised the decision at a meeting chaired by the university’s Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman on Monday.

Director of the institute Prof Fakhrul Alam, former president of Bangladesh Asiatic Society Prof Mahfuza Khanom, Social Science Faculty Dean Prof Zia Rahman, Social Science Department Professor Zinat Huda and prominent journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul were present at the meeting.

Baby Maudud completed her honours from Dhaka University’s Department of Bangla in 1970 and her master's in 1971. She was one of the pioneers of the women’s rights movement in Bangladesh.

She served as the international president emeritus of the Toronto-based Commonwealth Journalists Association and played a significant role in the country’s Liberation War by collecting medicine for freedom fighters, arranging shelter for helpless women and communicating with foreign journalists.

Born on Jun 23, 1948 in Kolkata, Baby Maudud worked as a journalist for a long time. She died after a long battle with cancer on Jul 25, 2014.

After beginning her career as a journalist in the 60s as a reporter for the Daily Ittefaq, she worked for the BBC, Daily Sangbad and Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha before joining bdnews24.com in 2009.

In the 90s, she was a vocal supporter of the movement for the prosecution of suspected war criminals.

She was active in progressive politics and became an elected MP to a reserved women's seat in the ninth parliament as a candidate for the Awami League. She wrote regularly on various issues and published several books, mostly for children.