Eminent journalist, writer and Managing Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Shahriar Shahid, who died on Saturday, was laid to eternal rest after Maghreb prayers on Monday at his family graveyard at the Doukar Char village under the Raipura upazila of the Narsingdi district.
Before the burial, the final namaz-e-janaza was held at Moulavibarir mosque near his family graveyard.
His body was taken to his ancestral village Doukar Char at around 5pm from Dhaka by an ambulance, reports BSS.
His second namaz-e-janaza, in Dhaka, was held on the Jatiya Press Club premises attended by journalists, BSS colleagues, friends, relatives and various professionals. Sufi Syed Saifuddin Ahmed conducted the janaza.
After the janaza, Jatiya Press Club, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Narsingdi Journalists Association, Shahriar’s classmates and friends from Dhaka University, and other journalist associations placed wreaths atthe coffin.
His first namaz-e-janaza was held at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) around 11:30am. DRU president, former president, and former general secretaries attended the janaza, among others.
Before the janaza, Shahriar’s classmate and colleague, Journalist Ajit Kumar Sarker recalled his memories.
Later, his body was brought to his workplace, BSS office at Purana Paltan at 12:15pm to allow his colleagues to have a last glimpse.
On November 17, Shahriar Shahid breathed his last around 1:50pm at the Apollo Hospitals.
He was admitted to Dhaka’s Apollo Hospitals on November 14 with a stomach pain and breathing problems and died three days later. Doctors attributed his demise to a severe heart attack.
Shahriar’s life and career
Shahriar authored 30 books based on the interviews of gallantry award winning freedom fighters and other Liberation War veterans which appeared to be a major documentation of the 1971 history.He made several documentaries on the Liberation War as well.
A preacher of interfaith harmony and liberal Sufi ideals, Shahriar was also a scholar of Sufi literature. Beyond his professional engagement, he taught at Dhaka University’s Mass-Communication and Journalism department as an honorary teacher.
Cabinet mourns Shahriar’s death
The cabinet has expressed profound grief at the death of noted journalist Shahriar Shahid, observing that his death would create a deep vacuum in the country’s journalism arena.
“Shahriar Shahid was a pioneering journalist and his premature death is a great loss to the country’s journalism,” said an obituary reference adopted in the weekly cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Monday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presides over the weekly Cabinet meeting at Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Monday, November 19, 2018 PID
“Shahriar Shahid served BSS for 30 years and played a pioneering role in the development of the national news agency, as well as the journalism profession,” Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam said citing the obituary reference.
Recalling his profound allegiance to the spirit of the Liberation War, the cabinet said Shahriar had a very deep attachment to the ideology which led him to make a number of documentary films on the topic and author as many as 30 books.