A memorial meeting and prayer session was held to honor the memory of Bangladesh’s top investigative journalist, Saeedur Rahman Rimon, organized by the General Journalists’ Community.

The event took place on Sunday (August 4) at 4 PM at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). It was presided over by Mohammad Masud, Editor and Publisher of Dainik Sabuj Bangladesh and founder of the General Journalists’ Community. Abu Saleh Akon, President of DRU, attended the event as the chief guest.

The program began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and memories shared by Abul Kalam, Publicity Secretary of DRU.

Several journalists paid tribute, including Mehedi Hasan Riad, Munna Khan, Ziaur Rahman, Imran Hossain, Hafizur Rahman Shafik, H.M. Al Amin, Syeda Rimi Kabita, Niyamul Hasan Niyaz, Chameli Rahman, Mustakim Nibir, Azizul Islam Yuvraj, and Faisal Ahmed.

Others in attendance included Ziaul Haque Tuhin, Akash Moni, Jahangir Alam Polok, Jewel Khandakar, Shafiqul Rahman, Raju, Babu, and Alam, along with reporters from various newspapers and TV channels.

Speakers at the memorial recalled that Rimon had an unmatched record of over four thousand front-page and back-page leads across all major newspapers in the country. Unlike typical journalists who report within designated beats—politics, diplomacy, economy, sports, entertainment, etc.—Rimon remarkably covered every beat imaginable. From economics and politics to crime, stock markets, civic issues, diplomacy, anti-corruption, the Election Commission, ICT, defense, agriculture, parliament, law, medical affairs, and education—Rimon reported on everything with excellence.

It’s commonly known that without extensive legal knowledge, sensitive court reporting is off-limits in many newsrooms. But Rimon fearlessly reported on legal affairs, from lower courts to the special tribunal formed to try the killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Speakers remarked that only a “machine-like” journalist such as Rimon could maintain such extraordinary performance across all subjects, yet he remained humbly dissatisfied, often saying he had “not yet become a good reporter.” His passion for writing remained undiminished until the end. One could truly say Rimon was born to report.

A Life in Journalism

Saeedur Rahman Rimon was born on December 31, 1971, in Jabora Pirbari of Ghior Upazila in Manikganj district. His father, Yunus Uddin Ahmed, was a renowned writer associated with the Dainik Pakistani (later Dainik Bangla) during the 1960s. His mother, Sahara Ahmed, was a homemaker. Rimon was the youngest of four brothers and two sisters. He completed his SSC in 1984, HSC in 1986, and graduated with honors in Bangla in 1990.

While studying at Savar College, he began his journalism career in 1985 with the widely read weekly Muktibani. From 1986 to 1993, he served as the Savar correspondent for Dainik Ittefaq, producing groundbreaking investigative reports on crimes like ransom kidnappings by the notorious “Chokhbandha Party” in Dhamrai, illegal organ trade, and the presence of dangerous radioactivity in infant milk powder.

In 1994, he joined Dainik Al Amin as a staff reporter, and in 1997 moved to Dainik Banglabazar as a crime reporter. In April 2000, Rimon became a senior reporter for Dainik Muktokontho. From 2002 to February 2004, he worked at Dainik Manab Zamin, then joined Dainik Sangbad in May 2004.

He served as crime-in-charge at BanglaNews24.com, part of East West Media Group, from 2009, and from 2011, led the investigative reporting cell at Bangladesh Pratidin. On May 1, 2022, he was appointed Acting Editor of Dainik Deshbangla. From June 1, 2023, he also served as Advisory Editor of Dainik Dhaka Protidin. Over the years, he held top editorial roles at several other outlets including Dainik Khabar Bangladesh, Natun Shomoy, Dainik Onnodigonto, Weekly Deshpotro, Natun Barta, Weekly Safkotha, and finally as Editor-in-Chief of Dainik Banglabhumi.

Rejecting partisan journalism and club politics, Rimon founded the Bangladesh Sangbadik Community (BSC) on October 18, 2024, for professional journalists.

Untimely Death

Saeedur Rahman Rimon passed away from a heart attack on Wednesday, July 30, at Shaheed Tajuddin Medical College in Gazipur. He was 54 years old at the time of his death.