Simon Dring: A true friend of Bangladesh passes away
"In the name of God and a united Pakistan, Dacca is today a crushed and frightened city."
These famous words appeared in a report by Simon Dring which was published in The Daily Telegraph of London under the headline "Tanks crush revolt in Pakistan" in March 1971.
Today, the prominent British journalist Simon Dring has passed away at the age of 75.
Dring, revered as a "true friend" of Bangladesh for his contribution to Bangladesh's Liberation War, breathed his last at a Romania hospital on Friday.
It was Dring, who first presented the genocide of the Pakistan Army on 25 March 1971 in Dhaka to the world in his now famous report.
"In the name of God and a united Pakistan, Dacca is today a crushed and frightened city. After 24 hours of ruthless, cold-blooded shelling by the Pakistan Army, as many as 7,000 people are dead, large areas have been levelled and East Pakistan's fight for independence has been brutally put to an end," the then 27-year-old wrote in his report.
On 25 March 1971, when the Pakistan Army was trying to block world media from doing any news coverage, Dring hid himself at the Hotel Intercontinental for more than 32 hours, risking his life only to inform the world about the atrocity.
When the curfew was lifted on 27 March, he left the hotel avoiding military patrol. He travelled the city and collected evidence of genocide in the Dhaka University area, Rajarbagh Police Lines and various other parts of Old Dhaka. Later he managed to board a flight to West Pakistan. Until he finally reached Bangkok, the security had stopped him several times but somehow his documentation was unharmed.
It was then that he penned his famous report.
Simon Dring is survived by his wife, twin daughters and many well-wishers.
Born in 1945, Simon Dring was a television producer, and presenter. He worked for Reuters, The Daily Telegraph, BBC Television, Radio News, and Current Affairs, in his 30-year career, covering major stories and events including 22 wars and revolutions around the world.
In 2000, Ekushey TV was established in Bangladesh under his leadership.
PM mourns death of British journalist Simon Dring
Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has expressed deep grief over the death of British journalist Simon Dring, a true friend of Bangladesh.
In a condolence message published by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) today, PM Hasina prayed for the salvation of Simon's departed soul and conveyed deep sympathy to the veteran journalist's bereaved family members.
Referring to the courageous contribution of journalist Simon Dring in the great war of liberation, the PM said that Simon Dring presented the world with a clear picture of the horrific genocide that the Pakistani occupying force conducted on innocent people on the night of March 25, 1971,
Hasina further said that Simon played a significant role in shaping international opinion in favour of Bangladesh in the Liberation War and has also contributed to the development of media in independent Bangladesh and the management of Ekushey TV, the country's first private television channel.