His work left a legacy of ethical journalism, journalism with love for the country, society and above all spirit of the Liberation War, speakers said at a memorial meeting for recently-passed Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar.

At the age of 75, Sarwar breathed his last at Singapore General Hospital with his wife and children by his side on August 13. 

The path lit by him is now guiding the journey of the Bangla daily when “he is no more with us”, said the newspaper's acting editor Mustafiz Shafi at the event held at Bangladesh National Museum in the capital's Shahbagh.

Golam Sarwar earned respect through hard work and commitment to journalism, and attained the editorship of the much-esteemed daily, said Prof Emeritus Anisuzzaman, reminiscing the days when Sarwar was one of his students at Dhaka University.

Guests at the programme -- renowned politicians, cultural personalities, editors, economists -- spoke of how they had come to know Sarwar from the days when he worked at Bangla daily Ittefaq, became a founding editor of Jugantor in 1999 and then Samakal in 2005, and about his sincerity, affection and easy-going personality.

An essay written by him from his publication “Amar Joto Kotha” was read out to the audience.

Born in 1943 in Banaripara of Barishal, Sarwar in the write-up laid out his emotion for the city, Dhaka, as he had seen in his childhood and then as a university student in the 1960s

“He [Sarwar] blended journalism with literature,” said economist and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Atiur Rahman. “He was an institution. An optimistic person, he used to bring out stories of Bangladesh's success in his Samakal every day.”

He will rest in peace if young journalists follow the path shown by him, Atiur added.

Partisan perspectives are very conspicuous now in the media, but objective journalism works for welfare of the country's people, which Sarwar had done throughout his accomplished career, said cultural personality Syed Hasan Imam.

Noted journalist and columnist Syed Abul Maksud and thespian Mamunur Rashid, among others, also spoke at the programme.