Toufique Imrose Khalidi, editor-in-chief and publisher of bdnews24.com who led the transformation of Bangladesh’s news media into the digital era, was laid to rest at the Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard at around 5pm on Saturday.
His interment followed funeral prayers and widespread tributes paid by dignitaries, journalists, relatives, and colleagues across Dhaka.
A career of firsts in journalism
Khalidi launched his journalism career in 1989 by joining the Sunday Express after completing a master’s degree in English literature at University of Dhaka.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, he held significant roles in media both nationally and internationally.
Before moving overseas, he held several senior positions at two of Bangladesh’s prominent English-language national newspapers, The Daily Star and The Financial Express. He subsequently worked at BBC World Service in London from February 2000 to June 2005.
Khalidi played a pioneering role in guiding Bangladesh’s news sector into the digital age through a transformation initiated more than two decades ago.
During the first half of 2005, bdnews operated as a news agency supplying reports to media organisations, breaking from convention by distributing content over the internet rather than traditional teleprinters.
Following changes in management and ownership in 2006, a new leadership team headed by Khalidi converted the enterprise in July of that year into the country’s first dotcom news company.
On 23 October 2006, bdnews24.com began operating in its new form as a 24-hour news service, marking the official inception of the digital news era in Bangladesh.
Sudden illness in London and initial farewell
While on a personal visit to London, Khalidi fell ill suddenly on the night of 1 October. He was admitted to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, where medical staff diagnosed a brain haemorrhage. He was pronounced dead at 2:23pm local time the following day.
Prior to repatriating his remains to Bangladesh, funeral prayers were held for Khalidi at Brick Lane Mosque in East London after Zuhr prayers on 8 October.
Former colleagues and members of the local Bangladeshi community assembled at the mosque to pay their last respects.
Khalidi’s coffin arrived at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight on Saturday morning. His nephew Taraaf Tazeez Khalidi and nephew-in-law Akif Ahmed received the coffin at around 11:30pm in the presence of his colleagues.
The coffin was subsequently taken to the premises of bdnews24.com’s office in Mohakhali – a location Khalidi held dear – where his remains lay from noon until 12:20pm as colleagues paid their final respects.
Afterwards, his coffin was brought to his home, where family members and relatives saw him for the last time.
At 2:30pm, his remains were transported to the Banani Old DOHS Playground, where friends, relatives, colleagues, well-wishers, and representatives from various sections of society gathered from 2:00pm onwards to bid him farewell.
Brig Gen Mohammad Raisul Islam, assistant military secretary to President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, laid flowers in tribute to Khalidi and signed the condolence book on behalf of the head of state.
Among the prominent figures who paid their respects were The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, TIMES of Bangladesh Acting Editor M Abul Kalam Azad, Agamir Somoy Editor Mostafa Mamun and Executive Editor Ehsanul Haque Babu, former Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists president Omar Faruk, columnists Chiraranjan Sarkar and Saleq Khokon, JaSaD’s Nazmul Haque Pradhan, MRDI’s Hasibur Rahman Mukur, EDAS’s Mrityunjoy Das, and BBC journalist Qadir Kallol.
Other notable attendees included actor Tariq Anam Khan, actress Nima Rahman, journalists Shahriar Karim, Shawkat Mahmud, Ashraf Kaiser, Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, Baizid Khurshid Riaz, and Julhaz Nur, human rights activist Dipayan Khisa, Prof Sadeka Halim, and Justice Abu Taher Saifur Rahman.
Funeral prayers (Janaza) were conducted at the playground at approximately 3:30pm. Following the Janaza, the late editor-in-chief was laid to rest at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals’ Graveyard around 5pm on Saturday.