Journalist and columnist Ataus Samad died in Apollo Hospitals in Dhaka Wednesday night at the age of 75.
He was suffering from kidney, diabetes and heart-related diseases.
He died about 9:30pm immediately after the life support had been removed, the family said.
Samad, who is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son, was on life support as his condition became critical in the afternoon.
‘He is no more,’ Supreme Court lawyer Anisul
Huq, nephew of Ataus Samad, told New Age around 10:00pm.
A pall of gloom descended on the entire journalist community at his death.
As the news spread, his colleagues and well-wishers started visiting the hospital.
His first namaz-e-janaza will be held at Gulshan Azad Mosque after the zuhr prayers and the second namaz-e-janaza at the National Press Club at 3:00pm. He will be buried in the Azimpur graveyard, the family said.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, Anisul said that his uncle had been on life support as his condition became critical.
Samad, a former Bangladesh correspondent of the BBC’s Bengali Service and advisory editor of the daily Amar Desh, was under close observation in the intensive care unit of the hospital after his left leg was amputated because of diabetes on Tuesday, physicians said.
He was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on Sunday after his condition deteriorated.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson, Khaleda Zia, information minister Hasanul Huq Inu and journalist union leaders visited him in the hospital.
The president, Zillur Rahman, the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the opposition in the parliament, Khaleda Zia, and leaders of journalist unions in separate messages expressed their shock at the death.
They recalled the outstanding contribution of Samad to the establishment of democracy and the advancement of journalism.
Zillur said, ‘The country lost a celebrated journalist in his sad demise and the country will always remember his contribution to the field of journalism.’
Hasina said that Ataus Samad was an icon of journalism and the nation would always recall his contributions.
Khaleda said that he was vocal till the last days of his life for upholding national interest, human rights, freedom of press and civil rights.
Born on November 16, 1937 in Mymensingh, Samad worked with the BBC from 1982 to 1994. He was also chief executive of the private satellite TV channel NTV.
Samad, from Kishoreganj, in his journalist career of more than 50 years had been chief reporter of the now-defunct Pakistan Observer from 1965 to 1969 and worked for the state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha as special correspondent in its New Delhi office for four years from 1972.
Samad also taught journalism in Dhaka University as a part-time teacher for long.
-With New Age input
