Journalist Ali Mahmud was found dead at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Tuesday morning. Mahmud, 69, was the City Editor of Dainik Dinkal and also a member of the BNP’s media cell.
He was a permanent member of the Jatiya Press Club, Dhaka Reporters Unity, and Dhaka Union of Journalists.
According to press club authorities, the senior journalist was found unconscious in the second-floor washroom. Family members had gone to the club as he did not return home on Monday night. He was a resident of the Badda area.
With police assistance, the washroom door was broken open, and he was taken to the emergency department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
His son, Ali Abdullah Tasvir, said that he left home around 11am on Monday and went to the press club by noon. When he did not return even after midnight, the family contacted colleagues, but no one could confirm his whereabouts. Several people said Mahmud was seen at the press club until 5pm.
Tasvir also said, “Around 7am today we resumed searching. At one point, a peon noticed the washroom door locked from inside and, peeking underneath, saw someone lying there. The door was broken, and we found my father collapsed on the floor.”
Jesmin Ara, Mahmud’s wife, said he had undergone open-heart surgery 12 years ago and likely died of sudden illness. Police also suspect he suffered a heart attack.
Shahbagh Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge Md Moniruzzaman said legal procedures are being completed, and preparations are underway for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Mahmud was born in Bhimer Dyeng village under Paba upazila in Rajshahi. He had two sons and a daughter. After graduating from Rajshahi University, he began his journalism career at Dainik Barta in Rajshahi before joining Dainik Dinkal in Dhaka, where he worked in various key positions and most recently served as City Editor.
His colleagues described him as a simple, dedicated working journalist who was always active in the field.
Leaders of the Dhaka Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists, Dhaka Reporters Unity, and the Jatiya Press Club issued condolence messages, praying for the departed soul and expressing sympathy to his family.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Media Cell Convener Moudud Hossain Alamgir Pavel, Member Secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, and BNP Chairperson’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibli also expressed condolences in separate statements.
