Badsha buried in Kushtia

Deputy Press Secretary to Banga-bandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Khondker Aminul Haq Badsha, who died after prolonged illness at London's Orpington Hospital on February 9, was buried at his family graveyard in Kushtia yesterday. He was 73.

Before burial, the body of the veteran journalist was taken to Jatiya Press Club in the capital yesterday and to the Central Shaheed Minar on Sunday where hundreds of people paid their last respect. His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the national mosque Baitul Mukarram on Sunday while at Jatiya Press Club and in Kushtia's Eidgah Math yesterday, said Aminul's brother Rashidul Haq.

During the Liberation War, Aminul was one of the key organisers of “Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra”. He was also the director of the External Publicity Division of Bangladesh Mission, Mujib Nagar.

Born on January 28, 1942 at Kushtia, Aminul got involved with Chhatra League in the 1960s while studying in Dhaka University. He was the general secretary of East Pakistan Chhatra League and was incarcerated for his role in the anti-Ayub Khan movement.

His journalism career started as Kushtia correspondent of the Dainik Azadi in 1957. In 1969, he was made Bangabandhu's press secretary following Sheikh Mujib's release from Agartala conspiracy case. He went to the UK after Bangabandhu's assassination in 1975 and worked as a freelance journalist. He also worked for a number of dailies in India, Bangladesh and England and for electronic media including ATN Bangla.