Renowned journalist and well-known TV anchor Anjan Bandyopadhyay died at a private hospital in Kolkata on Sunday night due to COVID-19. He was 56.
Bandyopadhyay, the editor of Bengali news channel Zee 24 Ghanta, died at around 9.25 pm.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over Bandyopadhyay's death. It is to be noted that Bandyopadhyay was the brother of the state Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
Family sources said that Bandyopadhyay had tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-April following which he was hospitalised.
"He had returned home after recovering a bit, but was again taken to the hospital after his condition deteriorated. He was put on a ventilator and then on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support, but his condition continued to deteriorate," an official of the hospital said.
Bandyopadhyay worked with ETV Bangla, 24 Ghanta and then with Anandabazar Patrika's digital unit before joining TV9 Bangla as the first Editor of the channel. He rejoined Zee 24 Ghanta as its editor just before the West Bengal Assembly elections.
"Saddened at the passing away of Anjan Bandyopadhyay, one of the best-known television anchors in Bengal. He was a bright, young and dynamic journalist," the chief minister said in a statement.
"I have no words to express my condolences to his family and his colleagues in the fraternity. His Ma, wife Aditi, daughter Titli, his elder brother Alapan Bandyopadhyay, who is the Chief Secretary of the State," she said.
