Veteran journalist Enayetullah Khan passed away yesterday at a hospital in Canada. He was 66.
Enayetullah, editor of the daily New Age and editor-in-chief of the weekly Holiday, had been undergoing treatment in Toronto after he was diagnosed with cancer of pancreas early this year.
He had been convalescing at his daughter's home in Toronto, but was rushed to Toronto General Hospital earlier in the week after developing post-surgical infection. He breathed his last at the hospital at 9:23am Bangladesh time yesterday.
Popularly known as Mintoo Bhai in journalist community, Enayetullah Khan left behind his wife, a daughter, two sons and two grandchildren.
His body is expected to reach Dhaka in four days, family sources said.
President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Information Minister M Shamsul Islam expressed deep shock at the death of Enayetullah Khan.
Born on May 25, 1939, Enayetullah was the third son of the late Justice Abdul Jabbar Khan, a former speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly.
His siblings include journalist Sadeq Khan, the late poet and bureaucrat Abu Zafar Obaidullah Khan, politician Rashed Khan Menon, State Minister for Cultural Affairs Selima Rahman and New Age Managing Director Shahidullah Khan.
Having begun his career as a journalist as a cub reporter for the then Pakistan Observer in 1959, Enayetullah Khan founded the weekly Holiday in August 1965, before taking over as editor of the paper in 1966. He founded the daily New Age as its editor and publisher in June 2003.
He was also the editor of the Bangladesh Times during 1975-77.
In his chequered career, Enayetullah Khan also served as a minister in 197778 and as ambassador to China, North Korea, Cambodia and Myanmar between 1984-89.
Known for his democratic activism, Enayetullah Khan was at the forefront of the Buddhijibi Nidhan Tathyanusandhan Committee instituted on December 18, 1971 to investigate murders of intellectuals in the terminal days of the War of Independence by the Al-Badr and Al-Shams, the assassination wings of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Enayetullah Khan was also an organiser of the Civil Liberties and Legal Aid Committee and the Famine Resistance Committee in 1974, the Farakka March Committee led by Moulana Bhasani in 1976 and the Committee Against Communalism in 1981.
Enayetullah Khan obtained master's degree in philosophy from Dhaka University. During his student life, he was general secretary of Ananda Mohan College Students Union in Mymensingh, member of the Dhaka University Students Union in 1958-59 and vice-president of Dhaka Hall (now Shahidullah Hall) Students Union in 1959-60.
He was president of the Jatiya Press Club in 1973-76 and the Dhaka Club in 1984-85.
MORE CONDOLENCES
Journalist community, ministers, political organisations, NGOs and human rights organisations have condoled the death of veteran journalist Enayetullah Khan.
Dhaka Union of Journalists (BFUJ) President Gias Kamal Chowdhury and Secretary General Ruhul Amin Gazi, Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Elahi Newaz Khan and General Secretary Sardar Farid Ahmed, and Jatiya Press Club President Reazuddin Ahmed and General Secretary Shawkat Mahmud in separate messages expressed deep shock at his death.
LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Law Minister Moudud Ahmed, Education Minister Osman Farruk, Jute and Textiles Minister Shajahan Siraj, Environment and Forest Minister Tariqul Islam, Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdullah Al Noman, Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, daily Ittefaq Editor Anwar Hossain Manju. Communist Party of Bangladesh and Workers Party leaders also condoled the death of the NewAge editor.
They paid rich tribute to the memory of Enayetullah Khan and recalled his contributions in the fields ofjournalism, education and social welfare.
Other organisations include Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Forum of Environment Journalists of Bangladesh, Dhaka University Journalists' Association, Press Institute of Bangladesh, Karmajibi Nari, Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of Human Rights, Centre for Sustainable Development, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh Chhatra Moitri.
The Union of New Age Journalists has also expressed deep shock at the death of Enayetullah Khan. The Union leaders prayed for the salvation of the departed soul and wished that the members of the bereaved family gets strength to overcome the shock.