Veteran journalist Barun Sengupta dies

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Kolkata
Barun Sengupta, veteran journalist and founding editor of Bengali daily Bartaman died today after a prolonged illness. He was 74 and is survived by two sisters.

Sengupta, who suffered imprisonment for about nine months during the Emergency in 1975, had just crossed 50 years of his journalistic career and died at a time when Bartaman stepped into the 25th year.

Sengupta began his career in 1957 when he launched a weekly Bartaman after he came in contact with veteran Forward Bloc leader Hemanta Bose. He joined the Ananda Bazar Patrika (ABP) in 1960 and became the daily's first political correspondent in 1965.

After leaving ABP in 1984, he launched his Bengali venture Bartaman the same year and wrote for the daily till he fell ill a few days ago. It is to Sengupta's credit that this paper is now being published from three places in West Bengal – Kolkata, Siliguri and Burdwan.

Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, the information and broadcasting minister has condoled the death of Barun Sengupta. "I am deeply shocked to hear the sudden demise of veteran Bangla journalist Barun Sengupta. In his death, he has left behind a huge devoid in the journalistic arena in general and in Bangla journalism in particular. I condole his death and pray Almighty for peace to his soul.", the minister says.