Senior journalist Hassan Shahriar passes away

Hassan Shahriar, a veteran journalist and former Jatiya Press Club (JPC) president, passed away at a city hospital on Saturday. He was 76.

Shahriar, also a two-term president of Commonwealth Journalists' Association (CJA), breathed his last at Impulse Hospital around 11:45am while undergoing treatment there, JPC joint secretary Mainul Alam said.

He said Shahriar was admitted to the hospital around 1:30am on Friday with various symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, cough and breathing problem.

Mainual said Shahriar underwent Covid-19 test a week back but the result came out negative. “Later, he was admitted to hospital with 80 per cent damaged lungs and serious breathing problem.”

Shahriar retired from the Daily Ittefaq as its executive editor in 2008 after serving the newspaper for a long time.

He was the first editor of the Daily Sun and chief editor of Chittagong-based Daily People's View.

Shahriar also worked as Bangladesh correspondent of international news magazine Newsweek, Khaleej Times, India's Daily Deccan Herald, The Indian Express and The Asian Age, Pakistan's Morning News, Dawn and Evening Star.

He was also the International president emeritus of the Toronto-based Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA).

Shahriar was elected president of the Jatiya Press Club management committee for 1993-94 tenure.