Mass Communication expert and noted journalist Prof Khairul Bashar passed away on Saturday night at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.He was 78.Journalist Bashar was suffering from severe lung disease. He left behind wife, a son, a daughter and host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.His body will be brought to Dhaka tomorrow (Monday) morning and he will be buried at Jurain graveyard on Tuesday, family sources said.Khairul Bashar was the Professor of Mass Communications Department at Selangor University of Malaysia. He was also the Executive Director of the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Institute of Development Communication (Aidcom) since 1985.He obtained Master degree in Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina, USA and also worked as a journalist with a number of newspapers in Bangladesh including daily Morning News, daily Sangbad and daily Ittehad during 1960s.Later after liberation of Bangladesh, he joined the UNESCO as a senior official and worked for this organization at different places including Paris, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Nairobi for more than 10 years.Afterwards he established the Aidcom in Kuala Lumpur in 1985 and was associated with it until his last day.He was the editor of reputed international magazine `Journal for Development Communications (JDC)` published from Malaysia. He was Secretary General of Manila-based Press Foundation of Asia (PFA) during 2000-2005.Khairul Bashar used to write columns regularly in the Malaysian daily The Sun.