Toufique Imrose Khalidi, the editor-in-chief of bdnews24.com and a trailblazing figure in Bangladeshi digital media, has passed away in London at the age of 59.
Khalidi suffered a sudden brain haemorrhage on Thursday night whilst on a private trip to the UK capital and was rushed to St Bartholomew’s Hospital. Doctors pronounced him dead at 2:23 pm local time on Friday. His family confirmed that arrangements to repatriate his body are currently being finalised, with details regarding funeral prayers and burial to be announced in due course.
The news of his unexpected passing comes just three weeks before bdnews24.com was set to mark its 20th anniversary on 23 October.
“Toufique bhai was personally curating all the preparations,” a spokesperson for the news outlet expressed. “He was full of energy and enthusiasm. Everything has ended so abruptly just three weeks short of our milestone. Our loss is truly irreparable.”
Born on 14 June 1967, Khalidi completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature at the University of Dhaka. He initially worked in population research and for the Save the Children Fund before transitioning to full-time journalism.
Over a career spanning nearly four decades, Khalidi held several prominent positions across domestic and international newsrooms.
He served as assistant editor at the Sunday Express (1989-1991), diplomatic correspondent at The Daily Star (1991-1993), and chief leader writer at The Financial Express. In 1996, he contributed to Europe, a Paris-based quarterly publication, before returning to The Daily Star as joint news editor.
Between 2000 and 2005, Khalidi worked with the BBC World Service in London as a producer and presenter for current affairs programmes and hosted monthly debate broadcasts.
In July 2006, Khalidi took the helm as editor-in-chief and managing director of Bangladesh News 24 Hours Limited. Under his stewardship, the legacy agency BDNEWS was transformed into bdnews24.com, establishing the nation’s first 24/7 free online news operation and setting a new benchmark for digital journalism across Bangladesh.
Tributes have poured in from across the political and media spectrum following news of his death.
In an official condolence message, President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed profound grief, remarking, “Toufique Imrose Khalidi was a true pioneer in the development of online and digital journalism in our nation. With his passing, the country has lost a deeply experienced, highly respected, and distinguished media personality. His lasting contributions to journalism will be remembered for years to come.”
