Dainik Somoyer Alo city editor and chief reporter Humayun Kabir Khokon died of COVID-19 on Tuesday while at least 34 media workers have tested positive until Wednesday.
Humayun Kabir died at Regent Hospital of Uttara in Dhaka on Tuesday night.
He was 47. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Humayun is the first journalist died the disease.
Regent Hospital public relations officer Tarique Shibli said, ‘He was admitted to our hospital at about 7:00pm in an unconscious state and was declared dead at about 9:45pm.’
He said that Humayun’s swab samples were collected by the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research for coronavirus test after the hospital informed the institute about the patient with COVID-19 symptoms.
He also said that Humayun had been suffering from breathing problems, cough and fever for past three days.
IEDCR principal scientific officer ASM Alamgir confirmed New Age that Humayun was infected with COVID-19.
His body was taken to his village home at Rajachapitala under Muradnagar upazila in Cumilla and he was buried at the family graveyard after his namaz-e-janaza with a thin presence of participants.
Many wanted to join the funeral, but police did not allow them, said Bangara police station officer-in-charge Md Quamruzzaman.
Humayun’s family said that he had attended his office every day before he fell sick.
Humayun, also president of Brihattar Cumilla Sangbadik Samity, worked for different media outlets, including Amader Samay, Amader Arthanti, daily Manabzamin and now defunct daily Ajker Kagaj.
Bangladesh Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader, health minister Zahid Maleque, information minister Hasan Mahmud, Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, Dhaka Union of Journalists, Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters’ Forum expressed deep shock at the death of Humayun.
At least 31 journalists and three media employees tested positive for COVID-19 until Wednesday.
Nine of them had already recovered from the disease.
Of the infected journalists, 18 are from television channels and 13 from newspapers, one from a radio station and two from online news portals while 10 of them works outside Dhaka, said Dhaka Reporters’ Unity president Rafiqul Islam Azad.
Out of them, a reporter of Daily Bangladesher Khobor, a newsman of Daily Sangram, Jamuna TV Narsingdi correspondent, Ekattor TV Gazipur correspondent, Maasranga Television’s accountant, Narayanganj’s local daily Shitalakha editor, Radior Today Naraynagan correspondent, daily Bhorer Kagaj Bamna upazia (Barguna) correspondent, a Channel I programme department technical person, a senior journalist from daily Prothom Alo, Alokito Bangladesh Gazipur correspondent, news portal Purbaposhchim Jamalpur correspondent, daily Ajkaler Khobor Bamna upazia (Barguna) correspondent, a reporter from news portal bbarta24, a reporter form daily Inquilab, a copy editor form daily Janata, a photographer from daily Kaler Kantha, a makeup artist and a reporter form NTV, daily Amar Barta editor, a newsroom editor from RTV, a reporter from Bangla Vision, SA TV Gazipur correspondent and a Jessore local daily Loksamaj sub-editor infected with COVID-19 till Wednesday.
Following the incidents infection and as part of precautionary measures, many media houses started ‘home office’ and ‘special roster system’ to keep the media workers safe from getting virus infection.
