Ex-MP, National Press Club Prez Shafiqur dies

Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, a veteran journalist and former Member of Parliament (MP) from Chandpur-4 (Faridganj), died on Saturday afternoon. 

He was 77.

His namaj-e-janaza was held at Gulshan Society Mosque after Esha prayer.

Rahman, who served as president of the Jatiya Press Club for two consecutive terms and also its general secretary for two terms, was taken to Evercare Hospital in Dhaka after being found unconscious in the bathroom at his residence. Doctors on duty declared him dead upon arrival, according to his family. 

Family members said he had gone to the bathroom to prepare for prayers. When he did not come out for an extended period, they broke open the door and rescued him before rushing him to the hospital. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Shafiqur Rahman was a prominent figure in the country’s journalist community before entering electoral politics. He served for more than three decades as a special correspondent for the Daily Ittefaq and was also associated with the news agency NNB and the publication of the Daily Pothe Prantore.

His leadership at the National Press Club and long career in newspaper journalism established him as a familiar figure among journalists and media professionals.

He later entered mainstream politics and was elected to parliament from Chandpur-4 as an Awami League candidate in the 2018 and 2024 general elections. He represented the Faridganj constituency in the 11th and 12th Jatiya Sangsad.

Born on September 25, 1949, Shafiqur Rahman hailed from Miazi Bari in Balithuba village of Faridganj upazila, Chandpur district. His father was Maulavi Abdul Hamid and his mother was Ayesha Khatun.

His educational journey took him through madrasah, college and university. He obtained a Kamil degree in Hadith from Faridganj Majidia Kamil Madrasah in 1965, passed the Higher Secondary Certificate examination from Chandpur Government College in 1967 and earned a master's degree in Bengali from the University of Dhaka in 1971.

A valiant freedom fighter during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, Shafiqur Rahman also wrote on the country's Liberation War and politics. His publications reflected his engagement with the nation's political history and public affairs.