President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir expressed profound grief and shock at the passing of Toufique Imrose Khalidi, the editor-in-chief and publisher of bdnews24.com.

In a condolence message, the President prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and extended his deepest sympathy to the bereaved family.

Describing Khalidi as a pioneer in the development of online and digital journalism in the country, the President noted that the nation has lost an experienced, gracious, and eminent media personality whose contributions to journalism and the media will be remembered for a long time.

Recalling his personal memories with Toufique Imrose Khalidi, the President added that his death was deeply painful for him and left him profoundly saddened.

The eminent journalist passed away at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London on Friday at 2:23 pm local time at the age of 59.
Khalidi was on a personal visit to London when he suddenly fell ill and was rushed to the hospital on Thursday night after suffering a brain hemorrhage, according to reports from bdnews24.com citing family members.

His family has not yet confirmed when his body will be repatriated to Bangladesh, stating that the schedule and venue for his Namaz-e-Janaza and burial will be announced once a final decision is reached.

Alongside the President, Information and Broadcasting Minister Andaleeve Rahman and State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Chowdhury expressed deep shock and sorrow at Khalidi's demise.

Numerous ministers, state ministers, and secretaries also shared condolences in separate statements, offering prayers for his soul and expressing sympathy to his surviving family.

Born on June 14, 1967, Khalidi embarked on his journalism career in 1989 following his postgraduate studies in English Literature at the University of Dhaka, initialing his professional journey at the Sunday Express.

He subsequently received specialized training in international journalism through fellowships at the Journalists in Europe Foundation in Paris and the Japan Foreign Press Center.

Khalidi served with the BBC World Service in London from February 2000 to June 2005. Prior to his tenure at the BBC, he held several key editorial roles at The Daily Star and The Financial Express.

During his time at The Daily Star between 1998 and 2000, he functioned as joint editor and news editor of the weekend edition, having previously served as the publication's business editor and diplomatic correspondent.

Renowned globally for his contributions to digital media, Khalidi received international recognition in 2014 as one of 14 leading digital media innovators across the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and West Asian regions at the South-to-South Media Dialogue in South Africa.

He also served as a member of the national committee tasked with formulating and reviewing policy frameworks for online mass media. His death marks the loss of a pivotal figure in Bangladesh's journalism and digital media landscape.