Manik Mia the power of fourth estate

IN free Bangladesh we mourn the 48th death anniversary of veteran journalist Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia today. He was a towering personality in the media world who fought throughout his career as a publisher, editor and political thinker specially symbolizing the power of press to mobilise public awareness for freedom and good governance. His personal columns in The Daily Ittefaq as its founder-editor were most popular to the people and equally powerful and thought evoking to the government. He was able to establish journalism as a force to reckon with by the government and as a vehicle of socio-political change. He enjoyed all round respectability for his personal honesty and developing honest journalism for the people.

Manik Mia used journalism and particularly his political column ‘Musafir’ to establish Awami League as the party of democracy under the leadership Mr H.S. Suhrawardy at first and later under Bangabandhu. Manik Mia had full confidence in Awami League about implementing democracy as people power.

He not only founded The Daily Ittefaq, he also led the way of publishing The New Nation as an independent English newspaper to join in the struggle for democracy and upholding rights of the people.

It must be a matter of deep disappointment that like under communist undemocratic politics, journalists are mostly party activists now of undemocratic politics.

Manik Mia represented the power of the fourth pillar of democracy setting a remarkable example for the journalists.

He will be remembered by the people of Bangladesh and live in their hearts as the fighter for their freedom against autocracy.