Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury passes away

Bangladesh-born British writer, journalist, columnist, political analyst and poet Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury has passed away. He was 88.

Gaffar Chowdhury, who wrote “Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano Ekushey February”, breathed his last in London, UK on Thursday morning.

He died of a cardiac arrest at a hospital in London at 6:49am (local time) and Bangladesh High Commission in London is in touch with his family members regarding the next step, an official told UNB.

The famous journalist and columnist was born in the Ulania village in Mehendiganj of Barishal in 1934 as the then greater India was under British rule.

Son of a landlord and anti-British movement veteran Hazi Wahed Reza Choudhury, Chowdhury graduated from Dhaka University in 1959 and came to England on 5 October 1974, where he lived settled.

However, he was a frequent visitor to his homeland and wrote newspaper columns regularly keeping a close touch with Bangladesh and an eye on the country’s affairs.

Before moving to Britain, Chowdhury worked as a journalist in different national newspapers in Dhaka and during the 1971 Liberation War, he worked for Joy Bangla, Jugantar and Anandabazar Patrika.

In the UK, Chowdhury founded a newspaper called the Notun Din while during his career as a journalist and authored 35 books like “Dan Pithe Shawkat”, “Chandrodwiper Upakhyan”, “Nam Na Jana Bhore”, “Nil Jamuna”, “Shesh Rajanir Chand” and “Polashi Thekey Dhanmondi”.

He also produced a film on Bangabandhu’s assassination titled “Polashi theke Dhanmondi”.

His contributions to Bangla literary world was acknowledged even before Bangladesh’s independence while he received Bangla Academy Literary Award back in 1967. He was awarded Sadhinota Padak in 2009.

Chowdhury was also the recipient of Ekushey Padak UNESCO Literary Award, Bangabandhu Award, Shanghati Lifetime Achievement Award.

He went to the United Kingdom for the treatment of his wife and could not return to Bangladesh for 22 years after Bangabandhu’s August 15, 1975 assassination along with most of his family members.

His wife Selima Choudhury died in London and the couple has four daughters and a son.

President, PM, Cabinet mourn

President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Cabinet on Thursday expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of the veteran journalist, columnist, and Swadhinata Padak winning writer, reports BSS.

In a condolence message, the president said that Bangladesh has lost a pioneer who was progressive, creative, and believed in the spirit of the Liberation War. His immortal song on language movement gave immense courage and inspiration to the Bengali nation during the Liberation War.

The prime minister said, “Writer of ‘Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano’ Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury with his talents and works upheld the spirit of the country’s Liberation War and non-communal spirit of the Bengalis till his death.”

He (Gaffar Chowdhury) also put forth the country’s true history before the nation and supported the Father of the Nation’s dream to build a “Golden Bangladesh” in his writings, Sheikh Hasina added.

The president, prime minister, Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Planning Minister MA Mannan and State Minister for Planning Dr Shamsul Alam prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.