Toufique Imrose Khalidi buried at Mirpur
Toufique Imrose Khalidi’s funeral prayer was held at the Old DOHS playground in Banani on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Agamir Somoy
Veteran journalist Toufique Imrose Khalidi, one of the country’s leading journalists, was buried at the Martyred Intellectuals Cemetery in Mirpur at 5 pm on Saturday, October 10.
Earlier, his funeral prayer was held at 3:30 pm at the Old DOHS playground in Banani, Dhaka. Friends, relatives, colleagues, well-wishers and representatives from various sections of society paid their final respects to him with love and reverence.
Toufique Imrose Khalidi, who was in London on a personal visit, suddenly fell ill on the night of October 1. He was taken to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a brain hemorrhage.
Doctors declared him dead at 2:23 pm local time the following day. His funeral prayer was held at Brick Lane Mosque in East London after the Zuhr prayer on October 8.
Toufique Imrose Khalidi’s body arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at around 11 am on Saturday. From there, his body was taken to the office of bdnews24.com, where it remained from noon until 12:20 pm. It was then taken to his home, where family members and relatives paid their final respects.
Before the funeral prayer at the Old DOHS playground in Banani, Chief News Editor Zahidul Kabir read out a statement from bdnews24.com Acting Editor in Chief Bishwadip Das.
Paying tribute to the deceased, Bishwadip Das said, “It is our responsibility to carry forward the ideals he left behind and continue his work. He taught us to ask difficult questions. Not to bow our heads under pressure. To present the truth before the public, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.”
Toufique Imrose Khalidi’s nephew, Taraf Khalidi, said, “After my father died in 2019, my uncle took care of us like a father. He was my guardian throughout my school and college years. The contributions he made to our lives cannot be fully expressed in such a short time.”
Taraf Khalidi then read out a statement from the deceased’s son, Raad Sharara Khalidi, a director of Bangladesh News 24 Hours Limited.
Raad Sharara Khalidi said, “My father had certain principles in his professional life that he never wanted to compromise. He believed in honest, fearless and independent journalism. To him, journalism was not just a profession. It was a responsibility and a matter of conviction. Because of this belief, he had to go through many difficult periods in his life. Many of those present here stood by him during those turbulent and difficult times. Our family will never forget your love, courage and support.”
Brigadier General Mohammad Raisul Islam, Assistant Military Secretary to the President, paid tribute to Toufique Imrose Khalidi on behalf of President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Gokul Bimal Kala, First Secretary of the Political, Press and Information Division of the Indian High Commission, also paid tribute by placing flowers.
Others who paid their respects included Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan; The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam; Bangladesh JASAD General Secretary Nazmul Haque Pradhan; former National Press Club President Shaukat Mahmood; BRAC Executive Director Asif Saleh; actor Tariq Anam Khan; Daily Agamir Somoy Editor Mustafa Mamun; Agamir Somoy Executive Editor Ehsanul Haque Babu; Channel i Editor Zahid Newaz Khan; Independent Television Editor in Chief and CEO Shamsur Rahman Momen; former Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Omar Faruque; columnist Chiranran Sarkar; researcher Salek Khokon; Hasibur Rahman Mukur of MRDI; Mrityunjay Dash of EDAS; BBC journalist Kadir Kallol; actress Nima Rahman; journalists Shahriar Karim, Ashraf Kaisar, Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, Bayezid Khurshid Riaz and Julhaz Nur; human rights activist Dipayan Khisa; Professor Sadeka Halim; Justice Abu Taher Saifur Rahman; journalists Gazi Nasiruddin Ahmed and Julhas Ripon; actor and theater director Mohammad Ali Haider; Sohel Parvez; Reza Diken; Rafe Sadnan Adel; and Mahakash Millat.
Former colleagues of the deceased, including Munirul Islam, Nayeem Tariq, Mahmud Zaman Abhi, Kazi Nafiya Rahman, Prakash Biswas, Ruby Ahmed, Riazul Bashar, Shahriar, Mohiuddin, Mintu Chowdhury, Rubaiyat and Muid, also paid their respects.
