Journalist Mahfuz Ullah dies at 69

Senior journalist Mahfuz Ullah passed away at a hospital in Thailand this morning at the age of 69.

The journalist, who was on life support at the Bumrungrad International Hospital, breathed his last at 11:05am (Bangladesh time), said his daughter Nusrat Humaira according to a Facebook post.

Contacted, Syrul Kabir Khan, an official of Khaleda Zia’s press wing, also confirmed it to The Daily Star quoting party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Mahfuz Ullah had been suffering from various complications and was flown to Thailand on April 10 for advanced treatment.

UNB adds, he was politically active since his student life and took part in the 11-point movement. He was expelled from Dhaka College for his activism.

Born in Noakhali in 1950, Mahfuz Ullah obtained MA degrees in physics and journalism from Dhaka University. He got involved in journalism when he was a student and had been associated with popular weekly 'Bichitra' since its inception in 1972.

He also worked at Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata as a 'China expert' and taught at Dhaka University's journalism department. Mahfuz Ullah had hosted radio and television shows and been involved with leading Bangla and English dailies in Bangladesh.

He has also authored more than 50 books in Bangla and English, apart from editing a number of others.

Books edited by him include the biographies of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and Khaleda Zia, the mass uprising of 1969, insurgency in Assam, and post-independent Bangladesh.