Mass Media and Embittered Status of Editorial Independence

 
Famed German poet Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller's poem "First They Came" resembles Bangladesh's current scenario. Cultural incursions, dissolution of reciprocal honour, loss of mutual respect and decline in intellectual exercises in terms of the glorious Liberation War of 1971 have bridged up Bangladesh's existing situation with the rhymes in the poem "First They Came". Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's favourite teacher Professor Syedur Rahman is one of my close relatives which is how my interpersonal bonds with many illuminated people developed since my boyhood.

I remember late Comrade and National Awami Party (NAP) chief Mozaffar Ahmed. He looked handsome, smart and similarly he was a man of valuable wisdom which he expressed with an impressive smile. Mozaffar Ahmed was also Editor of his party's weekly magazine Notun Bangla (New Bengal). Later on Mujibur Rahman Tunu took over the charge of editing Notun Bangla. I called Professor Mozaffar Ahmed "Nana" (grandpa). I visited his residence named "Udayan" in the capital's Kakrail many a time. Udayan was actually a magazine which was published from the Soviet Union. Mozaffar Ahmed gave the name Udayan to the magazine. Alexander Vaidakov was an active member of the international wing of Soviet Union Communist Party and he was assigned to coordinate diplomatic affairs between Bangladesh and Soviet Union during that period.  

The Soviet Union Communist Party held the ruling hierarchy in Soviet Union and their policies and activities rolled out vital influence on Bangladesh's politics and history. Soviet Union and Alexander Vaidakov both played significant roles in Bangladesh's liberation and rebuilding Bangladesh later on which consolidated the bilateral friendly relations between Soviet Union and Bangladesh in the years that followed. Professor Mozaffar Ahmed undoubtedly played a lead role in reaching this milepost. Nowadays we can see every Tom, Dick and Harry gets Independence Awards but no governments cared about paying honour to Mozaffar Ahmed or Comrade Moni Singh.

The term "Civil Society" was not taunted during our childhood. But now these two words are often satirized. People at that time respected the term "intellectuals". My present office is located in the building where Professor Syedur Rahman lived till his death. This building was back then named "Shongshoy" (skepticism). Syedur Rahman was an eminent philosopher who selected this name for his residence from an erudite outlook. Syedur Rahman was a skeptic thoroughly. He looked after me because I lost my father during my boyhood. As a result I came in contacts with several learned and enlightened people since my tender age. Syedur Rahman was my grandpa while his son Shafik Rehman is my maternal uncle. I will write about them in details later on.    

 
Crackdown on journalists, editors and civil society members has intensified since the regime change that took place on 5 August 2024. Mob violence and the degeneration in state machineries have crossed all limits. It shocks and astonishes me to think about the fact did we seek this independence in exchange for a sea of blood? I have had sweet memories with many prominent journalists and authors during the past decades. This piece of writing is inspired by this particular memory lane.     

Editors can side with any ideological platforms which is universally recognized. Before the latest US elections, almost all news outlets in USA opposed President Donald Trump but did Donald Trump file any fictitious or repressive case against journalists to hit back? Not at all.
 
One of my favourite poets Al Mahmud was also inclined towards a particular ideology. He was once upon a time Editor of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal's newspaper Daily Gonokantha. Al Mahmud held the Editor post of Gonokantha from 1972 to 1974. Esteemed litterateurs and educationists like Syed Ali Ahsan and Al Mujahidi were honoured by everyone irrespectively. I got introduced to Syed Ali Ahsan, Al Mujahidi and Al Mahmud at another noted poet Fazal Shahabuddin's office at Paltan in Dhaka city. Fazal Shahabuddin embodied self-esteem, love and a revolutionary spark in his poetic endeavours. He was the pivotal figure of widely read and circulated Bengali magazine Bichitra. Besides being a journalist, Fazal Shahabuddin jointly published literary magazine "Kobikontho" with legendary poet Shamsur Rahman. His song "Chena Chena Lagey, Tobu Ochena, Valobasho Jodi Kachhey Eshona" has been still a highly popular and mind-blowing romantic Bengali song.
 
Poet Al Mujahidi was the Editor of the literature page in Dainik Ittefaq for more than three decades. Al Mujahidi actively participated in the Liberation War of 1971. He was a poet belonging to the soil of this country. Al Mujahidi's poems were loaded with mettle and vigour. To translate a few lines from a poem by Al Mujahidi "Oh my fired up soil, you remain free forever. Let the wings of heaven keep stirring across the seven skies and seven oceans. I rise up again and again with the immolation of my selfhood. Fatherland, oh my Fatherland, you are integrated with my core existential throbs".
 
Fazal Shahabuddin was highly affectionate to me. One day I asked poet Al Mahmud "How do you write so beautiful verses?" Al Mahmud answered in brief "From my life." A man of rare poetic strength, Al Mahmud, who wrote the classical masterpiece Sonali Kabin (The Golden Marriage Dower) still appears in my thoughts and remembrances. I keep on searching for Al Mahmud and his eternal poems throughout the flora and fauna of Bangladesh.
 
Al Mahmud left behind footprints for many more journalists, poets and editors who also became famous with the passage of time. As a matter of fact journalism is a green pasture for the blossoming of cultural growth. I have doubts whether today's young generation could be moved by the creative worth of present mass media. It's sad to observe that today's young leaders have serious lack of patience, very absurd behavioural sense and extremely poor creative skills. Otherwise today's Bangladesh would not have been flooded with degenerated and vulgar cultural bequests. Do today's youngsters have any idea about Shahadat Chowdhury who was weekly magazine Bichitra's Editor? Do today's boys and girls have any notions about Bengali literature? Shahadat Chowdhury was the first posthumous eye donor in Bangladesh. The restless circumstances have led to the rise of a Bangladesh besmirched with vengeance and divides like Telegraph signals. Ominous signs are being reflected from all corners. The escalation of fundamentalism and religious bigotry has wrapped up the new Bangladesh. Patriotic Bangladeshis must pack hands to raise their heads against all the evil, vindictive felons. Resistance must be established to secure the core values of peace and harmony.
 
While concluding, I would like to recall the timeless verses of Martin Niemoller's poem "First They Came" which are as follows.
 
First they came for the Communists,
And I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Communist.
 
Then they came for the Socialists,
And I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Socialist.
 
Then they came for the Trade Unionists,
And I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
 
Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out-
Because I was not a Jew.
 
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.