Dhaka, Oct. 4 -- Toufique Imrose Khalidi, a pioneer of online journalism in Bangladesh and the editor-in-chief of bdnews24.com, is no longer with us.

After suffering a cerebral haemorrhage, he was taken to St Bartholomew's Hospital in London on Thursday night. He died on Friday. His sudden passing at the age of 59 has left a profound void in Bangladesh's media landscape, one that will not be easy to fill.

For me, however, his passing is a far deeper and more painful loss. Toufique Bhai was not merely my editor-in-chief or the head of the organisation where I worked. He was a true guardian, a mentor, a guide, and one of the most important sources of inspiration throughout my long professional journey.

The story of how I came to work wit...