Hassan Shahriar, senior journalist and former president of the National Press Club, died from coronavirus infection on Saturday morning. He was 76.
He died while undergoing treatment at Impulse Hospital in Dhaka.
He breathed his last at about 11:30am, said Press Club general secretary Ilias Khan.
United News of Bangladesh stated that the Press Club joint secretary Mainul Alam told the news agency that Shahriar underwent COVID-19 test a week back but the result came out negative. ‘Later, he was admitted to the hospital with 80 per cent damaged lungs and serious breathing problem,’ he added.
Shahriar, a confirmed bachelor, retired from the Daily Ittefaq as its executive editor in 2008 after serving the newspaper for a long time.
He was the first editor of the Daily Sun and chief editor of Chittagong-based Daily People’s View.
Shahriar also worked as Bangladesh correspondent of international news magazine Newsweek, Khaleej Times, India’s Daily Deccan Herald, The Indian Express and The Asian Age, Pakistan’s Morning News, Dawn and Evening Star.
He was the first journalist from Asia-Pacific to be elected as president of the Toronto-based Commonwealth Journalists Association in 2003. He was also the international president emeritus of the CJA in 2012.
Journalist Shahriar was awarded the prestigious Harry Brittan Fellowship by the Commonwealth Press Union in 1978.
He was elected president of the National Press Club management committee for 1993-94 tenure.
Shahriar was the existing president of Media Club Limited.
