Kamal Lohani passes away aged 86

Veteran journalist and cultural activist Kamal Lohani, who tested positive for coronavirus, died at Sheikh Russel Gastroliver Hospital in Dhaka city on Saturday at the age of 86.

Sagar Lohani, son of Kamal Lohani, shared the information in a Facebook post at 10:19 am.

Kamal Lohani, who received Ekushey Padak in 2015, served as the director general of Shilpakala Academy from April 2009 to April 2011.

Born on June 26, 1934, Kamal Lohani grew up witnessing India's independence movement, the partition and the 1952 Language Movement.

Kamal Lohani performed as the head of news of Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

Lohani got his first job as a journalist in the Daily Millat in 1955. Later in 1962, he joined Chhayanaut, a cultural organisation, as its secretary.

Meanwhile, the health authorities in Bangladesh reported 105,537 coronavirus cases with the detection of 3,243 new cases in a span of 24 hours on Friday.

Besides, 45 more patients died during the period, raising the death toll in the country to 1,388.