Eminent journalist A. N. M. Serajur Rahman has died today (1934-2015)

A .N. M. Serajur Rahman  has died today,1st of June at around 11am in Royal Free Hospital  London. He was suffering from critical medical condition last couple of months.
He was Head of BBC Bengali Section. He served BBC for Long 34 years. He was the one who’s voice was eagerly waited by people to know about the liberation war in Bangladesh in 1970/71
Born in Noakhali, Bangladesh, in 1934. Serajur Rahman had his schooling in Calcutta, matriculating with distinction in 1947 from Mitra Institution. He was actively involved in the Mukuler Mahfil juvenile organisation and published articles and short stories in the juvenile sections of the Daily Azad, Daily Nabajug and weekly Millat of Calcutta. His initiation in broadcasting was also in Calcutta where he regularly particpated in school broadcast programmes of All India Radio. Aer the partition of India in 1947 he moved to Dhaka, East Pakistan, and got admitted in the Dhaka College. When the Language Movement started in 1948 Serajur Rahman joined it whole-heartedly and was elected by his college to liaise with the Dhaka University Students’ Action Committee. Serajur Rahman joined journalism in parralell with his education. Aer serving in the news departments of the Bi-weekly Pakistan, Daily Zindegi, Daily Insaf and the Daily Millat, he was appointed editor of the British Information Service in Dhaka in January 1953. Under his leadership the press section was expanded eventually to 12 journalists. With their help Serajur Rahman edited a daily bilingual news bulletin, the fortnightly British Darpan (mirror) and the magazine Ajker Commonwealth. In addition to the BIS job Serajur Rahman was also a parti time leader writer (Assistant Editor) in the Daily Ittefaq from 1954 to end of 1959. In January 1960 he joined the then East Pakistan section of the BBC World Service. By the time of his retirement in February 1994 he rose from Programme Asstt. to Producer, Senior Producer, Asstt. Programme Organiser and Deputy Head of the much enlarged Bengali Service of the BBC.  BBC’s Bengali broadcasts under Serajur Rahman’s leadership during the liberation war of Bangladesh brought hope to the people of the then East Pakistan who almost universally thronged to the BBC Bengali Service for true news of what was happening in their neighbourhoods. ough somewhat clandestinely, he also coordinated the movement’s international publicity. rough years of contact he became close to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, leader of Bangladesh’s independence. He also personally knew most of the top leaders of the country.