Veteran investigative journalist Saleem Samad has died after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was 74.
He breathed his last at around 11:30am on Sunday at a hospital in Dhanmondi, said Mainul Hasan Sohel, general secretary of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Sohel said Samad’s funeral prayers were held at the DRU premises.
Earlier, Samad was arrested on November 29, 2002, on charges of sedition. Prior to his death, he had recounted being subjected to physical torture while in custody during interrogation. He was released after spending nearly 50 days in jail.
In his Facebook post on October 7, Samad said he had been forced to leave the country in 2004. He returned six years later and had been residing in Bangladesh since.
Following his death, writer Mohiuddin Ahmed paid tribute on Facebook, saying: “Our friend Saleem Samad has left us. I have rarely seen a braver journalist. May his soul rest in peace.”
Earlier, Saleem Samad was born in Dhaka in 1952, then Samad studied at Shaheen School and completed his bachelor’s degree from the then Jagannath College in 1976. Nearly two decades later, in 1994, he earned a master’s degree from Colorado State University in the United States.
After that in 1991, he received the Washington-based Ashoka Fellowship for his work on environment and development. He also participated in the Ford Foundation fellowship program at the Advocacy Institute in Washington, DC, in 1996.
Samad’s work appeared in numerous national and international outlets, including Time magazine, India Today, Outlook, Al Jazeera, Herald Magazine, South Asia Magazine, The Daily Star, Dhaka Tribune, Daily Asian Age, Weekly Dhaka Courier, and International Affairs Review.
With more than 35 years of experience in investigative journalism across South Asia, Samad reported extensively on conflict, security, forced migration, Islamic militancy, governance, electoral democracy, and press freedom. Over the course of his career, he received multiple awards and international recognition.
He also served as a media consultant for several international organizations, including USAID, Unicef, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and Dubai Cares.