Farid Hossain, the bureau chief of the Associated Press in Dhaka, has retired after 27 years of service with the New York-based global news agency.
Farid's retirement would be effective from Sept 1 as he reached 60, said a press release yesterday.
In announcing Farid's retirement yesterday, AP South Asia Bureau Chief Tim Sullivan said: "He has been a presence in the Bangladesh news world now for two generations, and he will be sorely missed. Luckily for us, he has agreed to return to work occasionally when things get busy, stepping back in to help us navigate the complexities of the country that he knows so well.
Over the years, he has reported on typhoons, political and military turmoil, and the country's growing economy. He has dodged roadblocks, angry protesters, soldiers and members of the secret police in search of the news. Over the past year, he led AP's coverage of the fire at the Tazreen factory, and the collapse of Rana Plaza, peeling back the dangers to the country's millions of textile workers.
He has also mentored many young journalists. One of those journalists, Julhas Alam, will take over responsibility for the Dhaka bureau."
Farid has been succeeded by AP's Bangladesh Correspondent Julhas Alam who has been with the news agency since 2004. Starting his career with the The Daily Star, Julhas also worked for the daily New Age, the United News of Bangladesh and bdnews24.com.
