Professor Sakhawat Ali Khan passes away

Professor Dr Sakhawat Ali Khan, one of the pioneers of journalism education in Bangladesh, has passed away. He breathed his last at a private hospital in the capital on Sunday night (March 8). He was 85.

According to his family, he had suffered a stroke a few days ago. After receiving treatment at a hospital for several days, he was taken back home. On Sunday night, he suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors later declared him dead.

Sakhawat Ali is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter, two grandchildren, and numerous students and admirers.

Born in 1941 in Shibpur upazila of Narsingdi to a respected family, Sakhawat Ali worked as a journalist for nearly a decade at several national dailies before joining the teaching profession. He served for a long period as a faculty member at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka and retired from there in 2008. He later served the same department for five years as a supernumerary professor. Until his death, he was an honorary professor of the department.

Sakhawat Ali was the founding president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh and the chairman of the Society for Environment and Social Development. He also served as a member of the management board of the Bangladesh Press Council and the Press Institute of Bangladesh. More than 30 of his research papers were published in national and international journals.