Veteran journalist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury dies

Veteran journalist, columnist and writer Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury has passed away.

He breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in London at 6:40am on Thursday (local time). 

Ekushey Award winning journalist Swadesh Roy confirmed the death to Jago News.

Chowdhury was born at Ulania village in Mehendiganj of Barisal on December 12 in 1934. 

He graduated from Dhaka University in 1959 and went to England on 5 October 1974.

Before moving to the United Kingdom, he worked as a journalist in different national newspapers in Dhaka. During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, he worked for Joy Bangla, Jugantar and Anandabazar Patrika.

He is perhaps best known for writing the lyrics to Amar Bhaier Rokte Rangano which is recognised as the most influential song of Bengali Language Movement and was initially set to music by him. Later, however, Altaf Mahmud’s composed music and adapted the song. It has been regarded by listeners of BBC Bengali Service as the third best song in Bengali. 

In the UK, Chowdhury founded the newspaper Notun Din. He wrote 35 five books. He lived in London from where he used to write columns in national Bangladeshi dailies, in Bengali newspapers of Bangladeshi community and in a daily paper in Kolkata.

Some of his notable works are “Dan Pithe Shawkat”, “Chandrodwiper Upakhyan”, “Nam Na Jana Bhore”, “Nil Jamuna”, “Shesh Rajanir Chand”, “Polashi Thekey Dhanmondi”, “Bastobotar Nirikhey” and others. 

Chowdhury produced a film on the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman called Polashi theke Dhanmondi.

He received numerous awards including Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1967, Ekushey Padak, UNESCO literary Award, Bangabandhu Award, Shanghati Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, Sadhinota Padak in 2009.