Veteran author, editor and the founder of University Press Limited (UPL) Mohiuddin Ahmed passed away early today.

The emeritus publisher breathed his last around 12:59 am at the age of 77, according to a Facebook post by his daughter and director of UPL, Mahrukh Mohiuddin.

His namaz-e-janaza will be held at Gulshan Azad mosque after Zuhr prayers today, Mahrukh wrote.

"He has been a brave survivor of Parkinson's disease for nearly 20 years, fought a strong battle with Covid and survived," the post added.

Mohiuddin Ahmed was involved with publishing from early in life. While a student at Notre Dame College, he was the managing editor of Blue and Gold, a college magazine.

After graduating from Dhaka University with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism, Mohiuddin studied journalism at Punjab University with a Pakistan Council Scholarship. There, he worked as the editor of the Punjab University Chronicle.

After completing his MA, he joined Pakistan Times as an apprentice journalist.

Within the first two months at the job, he got an offer to join the Department of Journalism, Punjab University as an Assistant Lecturer in Mass Communication and Public Relations.

Mohiuddin Ahmed worked as 'Editor for Pakistan' at Oxford University Press (OUP), from 1969 to 1972.

On his return to independent Bangladesh, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of OUP Dhaka branch for two years.

In 1975, when the Dhaka office of OUP was closed down, Ahmed decided to start UPL.

Under his leadership, UPL won the National Book Centre Award 16 times since 1981.

In May 1988, Mohiuddin Ahmed was awarded a Cultural Doctorate in Publishing Management by the World University's international secretariat at Benson, Arizona. Later, Bangladesh Academic and Creative Publishers' Association bestowed upon him the title of Emeritus Publisher. He was also a bold activist against copyright infringement.

Mohiuddin Ahmed was among 17 publishers from around the world who were invited to Norway by the country's prime minister in recognition of their work on environmental issues.