bdnews24 editor-in-chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi dies

Toufique Imrose Khalidi, editor-in-chief of bdnews24.com, the country’s first online news outlet, died at a London hospital at 2:23pm on Friday.

Sumon Mahmud, a senior reporter and former chief reporter of bdnews24, confirmed the death to Daily Waadaa.

Khalidi, 59, was admitted to St Bartholomew’s Hospital on Thursday after suffering a brain haemorrhage, bdnews24 reported.

The family said he was in London on a family visit.

Arrangements to bring Khalidi’s body back to Bangladesh are still being finalised, and a date has yet to be set. His family will announce the time and venue for the funeral prayers and burial once the arrangements are complete.

A pioneering career

Khalidi joined bdnews24 in 2005, when it operated as a news agency distributing reports to news outlets online, at a time when Bangladesh’s media landscape still relied heavily on teleprinters.

In 2006, following a change in ownership and management, the organisation re-emerged as bdnews24.com, becoming Bangladesh’s first open-to-public online news outlet. Khalidi took charge as its editor and managing director and held the positions until his death.

He began his journalism career in 1989 with the Sunday Express after completing a master’s degree in English literature at Dhaka University.

Before joining bdnews24, Khalidi worked for the BBC World Service from 2000 to 2005.

He also held various positions at The Daily Star and The Financial Express.