Remembering Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury
A journalist and a gentleman
To many of us who are over 60 years of age Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury is someone we will fondly remember as a committed journalist and most gracious friend. On November 29, 2014 we lost Zaglul in a freak accident in Dhaka. He had a personal car, but preferred travelling by public transport. While getting down from a bus on his way to a TV talk show, he slipped and fell, and was fatally hit by a bus.
Zaglul was a gregarious man and loved to meet people. He would be seen at most social gatherings and sporting events of all premier clubs in the city. A senior journalist, with a keen interest in national, regional and international issues, he was often invited to talk shows and asked to write columns in various newspapers. He was known for his down-to-earth nature and non-partisan stance. His journalistic career spread over four decades. He specialised in developments in South Asia, with a panache for historical detail punctuated with hilarious satire.
He was born in Piam village under Madhabpur upazila in Habiganj district. His father, the late Nasiruddin Chowdhury, was a well-known personality, politician and a former law minister in the provincial government. Zaglul studied political science at the University of Dhaka. But even before graduation he had started working as a part-time journalist in the Pakistan Observer. After completing his studies, he joined the state national agency in 1970.
At the pinnacle of his career, he became the chief executive of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS). He attended Saarc, non-aligned summits and Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings. He also reported for foreign magazines like Time and Peninsula of Qatar. This multi-faceted man was president of OCAB and BFUJ and was a valuable member of the journalist trade union.
He left behind his wife, a son, a daughter and lots of heartbroken relatives and friends. Sadly, two years after his death, his wife Tazeen Chowdhury also passed away after protracted illness. Zaglul was known as someone who could smile and make witty remarks even in the most trying circumstances. The man and his work will not be forgotten.
Ehtesham Chowdhury is the brother-in-law of the late Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury.