Riaz Uddin Ahmed (30 November 1945 – 25 December 2021) was a

Bangladeshi Bangladeshis ( ) are the citizens and nationals of Bangladesh, a South Asian country centred on the transnational historical region of Bengal along the Bay of Bengal, eponymous bay. Bangladeshi nationality law, Bangladeshi citizenship was fo ...

journalist who was the president of the National Press Club. In 1993, he was awarded the

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak () is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of martyrs of the Bengali language movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contributions in a number of fields, including culture, education, and e ...

, the state's second highest civilian honor, for his outstanding contribution to journalism. He was the editor of News Today. He was an advisor to former Prime Minister of Bangladesh

Khaleda Zia Begum Khaleda Zia (born August–September 1945) is a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1991 to 1996 and again from 2001 to 2006. She was the first female prime minister of Bangladesh and the second fema ...

Early life

Riaz Uddin Ahmed was born on 30 November 1945, in the village of Narandi, Manohardi,

Narsingdi Narsingdi () is a city and headquarters of Narsingdi District and the Narsingdi Sadar Upazila in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. The Dhaka–Sylhet highway connects Narsingdi with the capital and other major cities. Narsingdi is one of the most impor ...

. He passed MA in economics from

University of Dhaka The University of Dhaka (), also known as Dhaka University (DU), is a public university, public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Established in 1921, it is the oldest active university in the country. The University of Dhaka w ...

in 1986 and LLB in 1982. His only son is Mashroor Riaz, a former World Bank official and chairman of the Policy Exchange.

Career

He taught for a while before joining the Pakistan Observer in 1968. In 1970, he was a member of the executive council of the then East Pakistan Journalists Union. He resigned from the Pakistan Observer on 25 March 1971 and joined the war of liberation. After independence, he again joined the Observer and worked until November 1990. He was the General Secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists from 1973 to 1978. From 1978 to 1984, he was the Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists. He was the President of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists from 1986 to 1992. He was the chairman of the South Asia Coordinating Council of Journalists, formed in May 1992 by the SAARC Federation of Journalists. He was the President of the

National Press Club A press club is an organization for journalists and others who are professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press Club ...

from 1995 to 1998. He was the deputy editor of The Daily Star. In 1991, he was the editor of The Daily Telegraph. He was the editor of News Today. He was the editor-in-chief of The Financial Express. In 1993, he was awarded the

, the state's second highest civilian honor, for his outstanding contribution to journalism.

Books

Among the books published by Riaz Uddin Ahmed are: - * Every day in search of truth

Awards and honors

-1993 * Sher-e-Bangla Padak * Maulana Akram Khan Gold Medal * Narsingdi Press Club Gold Medal * Anti-Drug Federation Gold Medal

Death

After contracting

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The firs ...

, Riaz was taken to

United Hospital, Dhaka United Hospital Limited () is a private hospital in Gulshan-2, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Mr. Malik Talha Ismail Bari is the Managing Director & CEO of United Hospital Limited. United Hospital Limited along with Evercare Hospital Dhaka are considered hi ...

where he died on 25 December 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Riaz Uddin 1945 births 2021 deaths Bangladeshi journalists People from Narsingdi District University of Dhaka alumni Recipients of the Ekushey Padak Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh