Mahbubul Alam's death a big loss to journalist community

With profound sadness I read about the death of Mahbubul Alam, former editor of The Independent, former adviser to the caretaker government of Bangladesh in 2007 and doyen of the Bangladesh newspaper industry.
It grieves me that although we maintained regular contact spanning a period of 15 years and shared many anecdotes and laughs together, I knew nothing about his ill health. It was a subject never mentioned in our conversations and I've never known him to complain to any degree.
There are some editors of Bangladeshi publications whom I admire and respect enormously -- both professionally and personally -- not just for their God-given talents in creating and producing a commercially viable publication, but one that benefits society, individually and collectively. Mahbubul was one of those – a giant among giants.
His demise is a big loss to the Bangladesh newspaper industry and nation at large. I know I will miss him greatly and only wish that I had thanked him more often for all the support he gave to my anti- corporal punishment in schools campaign, which he was the first to promote and encourage.
May Allah embrace him eternally.