Journalist Shahriar Shahid laid to eternal rest

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DHAKA, Nov 19, 2018 (BSS) – Eminent journalist, writer and Managing Editor
of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Shahriar Shahid, who died on Saturday,
was laid to eternal rest after Maghreb prayers today at his family graveyard
at Doukar Char village under Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district.

Before the burial, a namaj-e-janaza attended by relatives and admirers was
held at Moulavibarir mosque near his family graveyard.

Earlier, his body was taken to his ancestral village Doukar Char at around
5pm from Dhaka by an ambulance.

His second namaj-e-janaza was held on the Jatiya Press Club premises
attended by journalists, his colleagues from BSS, friends, relatives and
admirers. Sufi Syed Saifuddin Ahmed conducted the janaza.

Prime Minister’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Prime Minister’s
Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing
Director and Chief Editor Abul Kalam Azad, Dhaka University’s former Vice-
Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Bangladesh Federal Union of
Journalists (BFUJ) President Molla Jalal, BSS former chief editors Gaziul
Hasan Khan and Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, JPC General Secretary Farida Yasmin, JPC
former President Shawkat Mahmud, JPC former general secretary Swapan Kumar
Saha, BFUJ former president Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul and former Secretaries
General Abdul Jalil Bhuiyan and Omar Faroque, senior journalist Mahfuj Ullah,
Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) General Secretary Sohel Haider Chowdhury and
JPC former general secretary Qamrul Islam Chowdhury were present on the
occasion.

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said Shahriar was a friendly person who maintained
ethics and principles in his journalistic career till his death.

He was a symbol of professional journalism and maintained a good terms
with his colleagues, said the PM’s media adviser.

Speaking on the occasion, Ihsanul Karim said: “Shahriar was very dear to
me. He was very good person. We will bear his memories for long.”

Managing Director and Chief Editor of BSS Abul Kalam Azad said Shahriar
was a devoted journalist who worked for the betterment of journalism in the
country.

“We lost a professional journalist in his death,” he added.

DU former Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique said Shahriar
worked a lot to conserve the memories of Liberation War.

He had also a role in the arena of journalism education, said Siddique.

After the janaza, Jatiya Press Club, BFUJ, DUJ, BSS unit of DUJ Shahriar’s
classmates and friends of Dhaka University, Narsingdi Journalists
Association, Dhaka and different others journalist associations placed
wreaths at the coffin of Shahriar at the JPC

Earlier, his first nama-e-janaza was held at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU)
around 11:30 am. DRU president Saiful Islam, its former president M Shafiqul
Karim Sabu and Shakhawat Hossain Badsha, former general secretaries Sajjad
Alam Khan Topu and Mursalin Nomani, among others, attended the janaza.

Before the janaza, Shahriar’s classmate and colleague Journalist Ajit
Kumar Sarker recalled his memories.

Later, his body was brought to his workplace BSS office at Purana Paltan at
12:15 pm to allow his colleagues to have a last glimpse at him.

Then, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing Director and Chief Editor
Abul Kalam Azad placed a wreath at the coffin of Shahriar.

BSS Chief News Editor Anisur Rahman, Deputy Chief News Editor Omar
Faroque, DUJ BSS unit chief A Z M Sajjad Hossain (Sabuj) and deputy unit
chief Qazi Golam Alauddin (Tanvir Aladin), BSS Employees Union President
Mostak Ahmed and Secretary Mahbubuzzaman also placed wreaths at the coffin of
Shahriar.

On November 17, Shahriar Shahid passed away around 1:50pm at a city
hospital.

Earlier, he was admitted to Dhaka’s Apollo Hospitals on November 14 with
stomach pain and breathing problem and died after three days with doctors
attributing his demise to a severe heart attack.

Shahriar authored 30 books based on the interviews of gallantry award
winning Freedom Fighters and other Liberation War veterans which appeared to
be a major documentation of the 1971 history while he made several
documentaries on the Liberation War as well.

A preacher of interfaith harmony and liberal Sufi ideals, Shahriar was
also a scholar of Sufi literature while beyond his professional engagement he
taught at Dhaka University’s Mass-Communication and Journalism department as
an honorary teacher.