Journalist Anwarul Haq passes away

M Anwarul Haq, a noted journalist, columnist and a former diplomat, passed away this morning. He was 62.

He suffered a massive stroke early this morning and was rushed to Labaid Hospital in Dhaka where doctors pronounced him dead around 6:00am.

Anwarul Haq was the chief reporter, city editor, diplomatic and defence correspondent of The Daily Star.

A prolific journalist, he had interviewed many world leaders and heads of states including Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter of the USA, John Major of the UK, Dr Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia, Manmohan Singh, IK Gujral, Deve Gowda and Pranab Mukherjee of India, Fidel Ramos and Corazon Aquino of the Philippines, Fuji Mori of Peru, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan, Suleyman Demerial of Turkey, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Yasser Arafat of Palestine and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

He was also director of Public Affairs and Communications of Brac. Prior to joining Brac in July 2007, Haq was the minister (Press) at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, India.

He was the president of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) for two consecutive terms (2000 and 2001) and the secretary general of Old Faujians Association, an organisation of the former cadets of Faujdarhat Cadet College.

He also served several national newspapers, including The Daily Star, now-defunct The Morning Sun and The People, in various capacities.

He, one of the founding members of Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB), was also the publisher and editor of the Endeavour, one of the country’s first magazines.

Anwarul Haq was an exemplary student at Faujdarhat Cadet College. He later went on to complete his masters in International Relations from Dhaka University.

He was a district leader of Leo District 315. He represented Bangladesh as a Leo Leader in Lions Convention in USA in 1975.

He left behind wife, two sons, a daughter and a host of relatives, friends, colleagues and well wishers to mourn his death.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held after Jumma prayers at Sobhanbag Mosque followed by a second janaza at DRU in the capital at 3:00pm today.

DCAB President Raheed Ejaz and General Secretary Nurul Islam Hasib, on behalf of the executive committee, expressed their deep shock at the death of the founding member.

In a condolence message, they prayed for the departed soul and offered condolence for the members of the bereaved family. They also recalled his contribution in establishing the DCAB.