PM Hasina’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim no more

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim passed away while he was undergoing treatment at a city hospital Sunday night.

He was 73.

Karim breathed his last around 8:00 pm at BSMMU where he was under life-support with multiple-organ complications, hospital and family sources said.

He left behind his wife, a daughter, a son, host of relatives,  colleagues and admirers to mourn his death.

According to an initial plan, his namaz-e-janaza will be held at the National Press Club at 11:00 am Monday where he will be given guard of honour. He will be buried at Banani graveyard after Zohr prayers.

Born in 1951 to a respectable Muslim family in Kushtia district, Ihsanul Karim obtained his Master’s degree in economics from Dhaka University and Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the same university.

Later Karim also received a post graduate degree in Development Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication  (IIMC) . He was president of IIMC Alumni Association , Bangladesh  chapter until his death .

Karim joined the Liberation War in 1971 and fought in the western frontier as a member of the Bangladesh Liberation Force (BLF).

On 15 June, 2015 he was appointed as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s press secretary for one year on contract basis and the appointment was extended for three years on 16 June in 2016.

His appointment as the PM’s press secretary was extended for another three years from 18 June, 2019.

Prior to his appointment in the Prime Minister's Office, Karim served as the press secretary to the President and ahead of that, he served as the chief editor and managing director of national news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), where he made his debut in the career as a staff reporter in 1972.

He also served as New Delhi correspondent of BSS in India for five years.

During his long career in journalism, Karim also served several foreign media including Bangla service of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Press Trust of India (PTI) as Bangladesh correspondent.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of her press secretary and former Managing Director and Chief Editor of BSS.

In a message of condolence, she said, “Karim had performed his duty with utmost sincerity and devotion as my Press Secretary.”

The prime minister continued: “With his sad demise, the mass media people have lost their colleague and I have lost my trusted officer.”

She prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the bereaved family.

During his long chequered career, Ihsanul Karim also served as Press secretary of the President of Bangladesh, she said.