Renowned journalist Mark Tully, who stood by Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971, has passed away.
He died today, Sunday, at a hospital in New Delhi, India, BBC Hindi reported. He was 90.
Mark Tully served for a long time as the head of the BBC’s India bureau from the 1960s onward. After retiring from the BBC, he remained active in journalism as a freelance journalist.
While working for the BBC in India, Mark Tully stood by the people of Bangladesh in 1971. At the time, he was the BBC’s South Asia correspondent. He travelled to border refugee camps and various districts, sending back reports that portrayed the true plight of the Bengalis and covered the war.
The reports filed by Mark Tully played a role in mobilising international public opinion in favour of Bangladesh. In recognition of this, the government of Bangladesh conferred on him the Muktijuddho Maitree Sammanona.
The government of India also honoured Mark Tully with the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. He received a knighthood from his own country as well.
Mark Tully, a British citizen, was born on 24 October 1935 in Tollygunge, Kolkata, India. His businessman father was living in India at the time. Although he spent his early childhood in Kolkata, he returned to England at the age of nine, where he completed his schooling and college education.
Mark Tully initially joined the army, but left as he did not find it to his liking. He later enrolled at the University of Cambridge to study history and religion, though he did not complete his studies there.
Mark Tully joined the BBC in 1964 and was posted to Delhi the following year. Before retiring from the BBC in 1994, he served as bureau chief in Delhi for 20 years.
Although his wife Margaret and their four children lived in London, Mark Tully himself lived in India.
Alongside journalism, Mark Tully authored several books, including Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi’s Last Battle, Raj to Rajiv: Forty Years of Indian Independence, No Full Stop in India, An Unending Journey, India: The Road Ahead, and Heart of India.