Faruque Ahmed :
Legendary journalist Ataus Samad’s 8th death anniversary is today. He died at the age of 75 in 2012. Ataus Samad Smiriti Parishad remembers him today like all previous years. His younger colleagues, students and admirers will visit his grave at Azimpur to offer Fateha for his departed soul.
As we remember he worked for long 56 years in the media, both in electronic and print media in various capacities. But he had outpaced everything as a fearless BBC Bangla Service broadcaster during the autocratic regime of Gen Ershad. He joined BBC world service in 1982 and worked for a decade. His unshaken voice still vibrate in the air when people anxiously wait for his dispatch. He was jailed.
In fact if BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was the face of the anti-autocracy movement during the nine years of Ershad regime, Ataus Samad gave a real voice to the movement to bring it to the common people. Gias Kamal Chowdhury, was the other thunder voice working for Voice of America, among a handful others, which led to the fall of autocracy and restored democracy.
We have a vast media industry today in the country but during the time between Bangladesh was established as an independent country and after that when democracy was repeatedly stolen, Samad and few others played the iconic role to give media a pro-people direction.
But an era of embedded journalism is at work now and we need to remember him all the more today and get inspired by the ideals of his investigative and objective journalism.
He would always go to the source as news maker to verify the news before making a dispatch. Unknown sources were unknown to him to protect media integrity and people’s trust.
We know during his 20 years part-time teaching in the Journalism Department of Dhaka University, he created as many young journalists and worked with them at the same time as their guide in different media houses. It was a unique opportunity to spread honest journalism.
He had worked for BSS, NTV as its Chief Executive Officer and Advisory Editor of Daily Amar Desh. He also worked for Pakistan Observer, The Sun, The Daily Azad, Sachira Sandhany and edited ‘Weekly Ekhon’ while relentlessly writing for newspapers at home and abroad. He also served as the General Secretary of East Pakistan Union of Journalists.
Ataus Samad was respected by all within and outside the media. He was a model of fearless journalism that young professionals could follow. On his death another veteran journalist ABM Musa said he didn’t cry on his father’s death but he could not stop tears on Samad’s death. He has set up a chair for Ataus Samad at Journalism Department to continue his legacy.
We are afraid his place could not be filled anytime soon.
Legendary journalist Ataus Samad’s 8th death anniversary is today. He died at the age of 75 in 2012. Ataus Samad Smiriti Parishad remembers him today like all previous years. His younger colleagues, students and admirers will visit his grave at Azimpur to offer Fateha for his departed soul.
As we remember he worked for long 56 years in the media, both in electronic and print media in various capacities. But he had outpaced everything as a fearless BBC Bangla Service broadcaster during the autocratic regime of Gen Ershad. He joined BBC world service in 1982 and worked for a decade. His unshaken voice still vibrate in the air when people anxiously wait for his dispatch. He was jailed.
In fact if BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia was the face of the anti-autocracy movement during the nine years of Ershad regime, Ataus Samad gave a real voice to the movement to bring it to the common people. Gias Kamal Chowdhury, was the other thunder voice working for Voice of America, among a handful others, which led to the fall of autocracy and restored democracy.
We have a vast media industry today in the country but during the time between Bangladesh was established as an independent country and after that when democracy was repeatedly stolen, Samad and few others played the iconic role to give media a pro-people direction.
But an era of embedded journalism is at work now and we need to remember him all the more today and get inspired by the ideals of his investigative and objective journalism.
He would always go to the source as news maker to verify the news before making a dispatch. Unknown sources were unknown to him to protect media integrity and people’s trust.
We know during his 20 years part-time teaching in the Journalism Department of Dhaka University, he created as many young journalists and worked with them at the same time as their guide in different media houses. It was a unique opportunity to spread honest journalism.
He had worked for BSS, NTV as its Chief Executive Officer and Advisory Editor of Daily Amar Desh. He also worked for Pakistan Observer, The Sun, The Daily Azad, Sachira Sandhany and edited ‘Weekly Ekhon’ while relentlessly writing for newspapers at home and abroad. He also served as the General Secretary of East Pakistan Union of Journalists.
Ataus Samad was respected by all within and outside the media. He was a model of fearless journalism that young professionals could follow. On his death another veteran journalist ABM Musa said he didn’t cry on his father’s death but he could not stop tears on Samad’s death. He has set up a chair for Ataus Samad at Journalism Department to continue his legacy.
We are afraid his place could not be filled anytime soon.
( Faruque Ahmed is a senior journalist)
