Journo, ex-AL MP Shafiqur Rahman passes away

Veteran journalist, freedom fighter and former Chandpur-4 (Faridganj) Awami League lawmaker Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman died at a Dhaka hospital on Saturday. He was 77.

Family members said that Shafiqur Rahman, a former president of the National Press Club, suffered a sudden stroke at home on Friday and was admitted to United Hospital in critical condition. He died at around 2:30pm on Saturday while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

He was born on 25 September 1949 in Krishnapur village under Balithuba East union of Faridganj upazila in Chandpur.

He earned a Kamil degree in Hadith from Faridganj Alia Madrasah in 1965 and completed his higher secondary education at Chandpur Government College in 1967. He later graduated in Bengali language and literature from the University of Dhaka in 1970 and completed his master’s degree in 1971. 

His involvement in politics and social movements began during his student years. He joined now-banned Bangladesh Chhatra League in 1965 and took part in the 1969 mass uprising and the Liberation War in 1971.

Shafiqur Rahman’s journalism career began in 1970 when he worked as a University of Dhaka correspondent for the daily Ittefaq. After independence, he joined the newspaper and served in various positions for 32 years before retiring in 2002. He subsequently established himself as an independent columnist, writing regularly for several national newspapers.

He was elected president of the National Press Club for two consecutive terms, 2016-17 and 2017-18. 

Alongside journalism, he remained active in electoral politics. He was elected MP from Chandpur-4 (Faridganj) in the widely controversial 11th and 12th parliamentary elections in 2018 and 2024.

He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter, along with colleagues, friends and admirers.