Toufique Imrose Khalidi, editor-in-chief and publisher of online news outlet bdnews24.com, has died at a London hospital at the age of 59. He died on Friday, 2 October, after suffering a brain haemorrhage while on a personal visit to the United Kingdom.
According to bdnews24.com and reports from Bangladeshi media, Khalidi was taken to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London on Thursday night after suffering the haemorrhage. Doctors pronounced him dead at 2:23pm local time on Friday, which was 7:23pm in Bangladesh.
Khalidi had been in London on a personal visit. Colleagues said he had travelled there to meet his son and was expected to return to Bangladesh within a few days. His sudden illness and death came as a shock to colleagues and the wider media community.
A prominent figure in Bangladesh’s media industry, Khalidi had a journalism career spanning more than three decades. He studied English at the University of Dhaka before entering journalism. According to biographical accounts published after his death, he began his career in 1989 and subsequently worked in several leading media organisations.
He worked for The Daily Star and later for the BBC, where he served in different editorial and broadcasting roles. His professional experience therefore extended across print, broadcast and digital journalism, giving him a long association with the changing nature of news production in Bangladesh and beyond.
Khalidi took charge of bdnews24.com in 2006 and remained at the helm of the organisation for the rest of his career. During this period, online journalism in Bangladesh expanded rapidly, with digital news outlets becoming an increasingly important source of information for readers.
His name became closely associated with the growth of online journalism in the country. The Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha described him as an eminent journalist and a pioneer of online journalism, while Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman also highlighted his contribution to the development of modern online journalism.
Khalidi’s death prompted condolences from senior figures in the government and the media sector. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed deep sorrow over his death and described him as a pioneer in the development of online and digital journalism in Bangladesh. In his condolence message, the President said the country had lost an experienced and distinguished media personality and that Khalidi’s contribution to journalism would be remembered.
The Information and Broadcasting Minister also expressed grief, describing Khalidi’s death as a significant loss to the country’s mass media. Other ministers, state ministers and senior government officials conveyed condolences to his family.
The timing and place of Khalidi’s funeral in Bangladesh had not yet been finalised when the initial reports of his death were published. His family is expected to announce arrangements for the return of his body, as well as the Namaz-e-Janaza and burial, once the decisions are confirmed.
Khalidi’s death marks the passing of a journalist whose professional life closely followed the transformation of Bangladesh’s news industry—from traditional print and broadcast journalism to the rapidly expanding digital news environment. His years at bdnews24.com made him one of the most recognisable editorial figures in the country’s online media landscape.
