Toab Khan, the Ekushey Padak winning veteran journalist and Editor of the Dainik Bangla, passed away. He breathed his last around 12:40 p.m. on Saturday (Oct 1) at the United Hospital, local media reported.
Toab Khan was admitted to the hospital with old-age complications, his colleagues said.
Born on Apr 24 of 1934 in Satkhira district, he studied in Jagannath College, now a university.
He started his journalism in 1955 through Sangbad. He was the news editor of Dainik Pakistan which was renamed as Dainik Bangla after the independence of the country in 1971.
During the Liberation War, he worked with Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra also.
Toab Khan was the press secretary to the then Prime Minister Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in between 1973 and 1975. He later served as chief information officer of Press Information Department and director general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB).
The eminent journalist joined Bangla daily Janakantha in 1993 as the advisory editor.
Toab Khan received the Ekushey Padak in 2016.
Last year, he joined as the editor of Dainik Bangla again after the newspaper was decided to republish under a new management following a hiatus of around two decades.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed her deep shock at the death of the veteran journalist.
The body of Toab Khan will be taken to the offices of Dainik Bangla and News Bangla in city's Tejgaon at 10 a.m. on Monday, where his first Namaz-e-Janaza will be held.
Later, the body will be kept at the Central Shaheed Minar from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. under the management of the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote so that people from all strata can pay their last tributes to him.
The body will be kept at the National Press Club from 1 p.m. to 1.30 p.m. and the second Namaz-e-Janaza will be held there.
Then the body will be taken from the National Press Club to the deceased's residence in Gulshan. After holding another Namaz-e-Janaza at Gulshan Azad Masjid, this renowned personality will be laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard.
