Journalist Mahfuz Ullah dies

Senior journalist, columnist and freedom fighter Mahfuz Ullah died at a Bangkok hospital Saturday. He was 69.
He was suffering from heart, kidney and lung complications.
He was under treatment at Bumrungrad International Hospital, his daughter Nusrat Homaira, who was with Mahfuz told New Age that his father died at 11:05am Bangkok time corresponding to 10:05am Bangladesh Standard Time. 
Mahfuz Ullah is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
His body was brought to Dhaka at 12:40am, said his elder brother and former Dhaka University economics professor Mahbub Ullah.
His first namaz-e-janaza will be held at Green Road dormitory mosque after zuhr prayers today and the second janaza will be held at the National Press Club after asr prayers, Mahbub Ullah added. 
Mahbub Ullah said that the preparations were underway to bury Mahfuz Ullah at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals Graveyard.
Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman and secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Gono Forum president Kamal Hossain condoled Mahfuz Ullah’s death.
In a condolence message, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus said, ‘I am deeply shocked at the sudden death of noted journalist and writer Mahfuz Ullah. I pray to Most Merciful Allah for his eternal peace.’ 
On April 2, he was admitted to the Square Hospital in Dhaka with chest pain. He was flown to Bangkok on April 10 for better treatment.
Born in Noakhali in 1950, Mahfuz Ullah did his BSc (Honours) and MSc in physics and MA in journalism from Dhaka University. 
He was the grandson of Muzaffar Ahmed, respected throughout the subcontinent as a pioneer of the undivided Communist Party of India.
Also a writer, TV personality and environmentalist, Mahfuz Ullah was a pioneer of environmental journalism in Bangladesh. He was the founder secretary general of the Centre for Sustainable Development.
Because of his involvement with the movement against Ayub Khan’s military rule he was expelled from Dhaka College.
While a DU student he actively took part in the 1969 mass movement against Ayub’s autocratic rule as the president of East Pakistan Students Union (Menon). 
He joined journalism while still a DU student with popular weekly ‘Bichitra’ since its inception in 1972.
He was a teacher at DU journalism department.
He worked as the second secretary (Press) at Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.
As an environmental journalist he was the first Bangladeshi to be elected to the International Board of Directors of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Mafuz Ullah was known for his critical views in his newspaper columns and TV talk-shows.
Mahfuz Ullah authored and edited more than 50 books. His notable works include: biographies of BNP founder and former president Ziaur Rahman, former prime minister and BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, The 1969 Mass Uprising etc.
He also wrote on the Insurgency in Assam.
Before hospitalisation he was writing the biography of General MAG Osmani, Commander-in-Chief of Bangladesh Mukti Bahini during the Bangladesh War of Independence.
 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net