Ex Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar dies

Former Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar died of cardiac arrest today. He was 80.

"My father breathed his last around 1:30pm," Talukdar's eldest daughter Irin Mahbub confirmed to The Daily Star.

She said her father was taken to United Hospital after his oxygen level dropped. Doctors said he suffered a massive cardiac failure, Irin added.

Talking to media, a duty manager of the hospital said Mahbub was brought dead in the afternoon.

He had prostate cancer for the last few years as well as some old age-related complications.

Born in 1942, Mahbub Talukdar completed his bachelor's and master's degrees in Bengali Language and Literature from the University of Dhaka.

He taught Bengali Language and Literature at University of Chittagong from 1968 to 1970.

Mahbub Talukdar, who was a freedom fighter, joined the government in 1971.  

After independence, he served as the president's public relations officer and speech writer. He was the assistant press secretary and speech writer to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

In 2017, Mahbub Talukdar was recommended by a Search Committee headed by a Supreme Court Judge and the President appointed him as an Election Commissioner.

Mahbub Talukdar was a prominent writer as well.

He has written 44 books, mainly on poetry and fiction. He received Bangla Academy's literature award in 2012.