How The Asian Age Defied Tyranny, Oligarchs and Oppression

Having crossed numerous ups and downs, The Asian Age reaches its landmark 13th anniversary today. Over this long period, it has borne witness to many bittersweet events. In maintaining unity among newspapers, The Asian Age has always extended a generous call. Unfortunately, however, a form of "Brahminism" within the newspaper industry has created obstacles to press unity. As a result, a deep disparity has prevailed in Bangladesh's print media for a very long time.

The Asian Age has arrived at its position today after traversing a difficult and rugged path. In working towards good governance, it faced immense harassment. It urged radical fanatics those responsible for the Holey Artisan attack or synchronized bomb blasts across the country to abandon their misguided paths and return to the right track. The Asian Age played a pioneering role, ahead of all others, against irregularities and corruption surrounding mega projects and the financial sector-particularly banks, insurance companies, and leasing firms. During that time, the country's top media outlets rewarded banking plunderers instead. Showing complete disregard for all temptations and greed, The Asian Age worked tirelessly for the people of the country. It championed regional harmony and embraced the open call of globalization.

In carrying out this work, the paper fell victim to immense vendettas. On behalf of the bank robbers, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her associates subjected The Asian Age to various forms of oppression. During this period, attacks were launched on The Asian Age press, lawsuits were filed, and BTRC was used to shut down its online edition. When I called my acquaintance Mustafa Jabbar, the then Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, to inquire about it, he stated that the shutdown was ordered directly by the Prime Minister's Office.

Using the state apparatus, journalists from The Asian Age were abducted. They were forced to give written statements against the Chairman of The Asian Age. The main force driving this effort was a syndicate formed by Bank Owners' Association (BAB) President Nazrul Islam Mazumder, MSPM JaynalAbedin, Ex DGFI DG SaifulAbedin, and Ex SSF DG MujiburRahman. Acting in unison, they utilized state machinery and deployed corrupt officials loyal to them.

Multiple false cases were filed against the Chairman of The Asian Age, and arrest warrants were issued. As Chairman, I fought back against them alone by keeping my diplomatic friends informed. Remarkably, they even seized control of the country's central bank. Though the then Governors were honest, they were timid or cowardly; none could take a firm stance. When The Asian Age published a report on the overnight takeover of a bank, the then Governor FazleKabir turned to intelligence agencies to act against The Asian Age.

I once wrote an article about the widespread corruption in the financial sector during the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In that piece, I mentioned that if this devastation was not halted, her fate would mirror that of Rajapaksa. Following that, various organs of the state apparatus began acting adversely toward The Asian Age. The irony was that no media outlet stood up in support of The Asian Age at that time. Instead, they were seen defending bank robbers and among them were editors of the country's leading newspapers. There is a proverb, "One raven will not pluck another's eye." Therefore, I refrain from publishing their names. If an inquiry were made, it would reveal that the persecution inflicted upon The Asian Age is beyond words. Systematic attempts were made to shut down the newspaper, which can truly be described as a rare phenomenon.

However, I was very optimistic when Dr. Muhammad Yunus assumed power, thinking that good governance would be established. But he proved to be a total failure. Violence across the country, authoritarianism, looting, violence against women and children, stifling the voice of the press, vandalizing newspaper offices, physical and mental torture inflicted upon journalists, and so much more ensued. Yet, how fond we once were of this Dr. Yunus! He forgot his true roots. The pen must be answered with the pen, not with brute force or the apparatus of the state. Today, over three hundred journalists and editors have fallen victim to persecution under his watch, and the consequences of this will manifest very soon.

In October 2025, I attended the 75th Congress of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Vienna, the capital of Austria. There, speaking as the Chairman of The Asian Age, I stated that we had a silver-lined dream surrounding Dr. Yunus, but that dream turned into deep disillusionment. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Yunus had become a symbol of national unity; yet, as the head of the interim government, he departed shamefully and ignominiously after breeding division. He will have to pay the price for these actions in the days ahead.

The newspaper industry is facing an existential threat due to rapid technological advancement. I have published several articles on this subject. Although I called for necessary preparations, no unity or consensus was seen among those associated with the newspaper industry. Nor was there any government initiative on how to sustain the newspaper industry in the face of technological progress. On the contrary, policymakers of the then-state  particularly the then-ICT Advisor, who is the son of the former Prime Minister, SajeebWazed Joy remarked that newspapers would cease to exist altogether. Rather than offering solutions, they fueled the conditions that pushed newspapers toward closure.

It is worth noting here that many involved in our newspaper industry have limitations in their technical knowledge. Consequently, no one showed interest in working around these technological advancements. I even recall writing an article titled "Unrestricted Use of Drones Is a Threat to National Security." After this headline was published, some leading journalists of the time turned against my newspaper. Someone remarked that "Chairman Saheb has run a headline about a toy," claiming it was incompatible with their long journalism careers. Recently, after the Ukraine war broke out, I called a few of them and asked: "How do you feel now? Is a drone merely a toy, or a decisive factor in modern warfare?"

At that convention in Vienna, I was the sole representative who presented the terrifying reality faced by Bangladeshi journalists, where press freedom remains questionable, and where the power of the pen is still suppressed by brute physical force and state machinery. After I voiced these issues, an anti-independence faction hiding within the then-Yunus administration attempted to harm me by spinning distorted narratives against The Asian Age. However, following the BNP government's ascension to power, their malicious desires were not fulfilled. On the contrary, because the BNP government believes in freedom of the press, they are now working to bring journalism to the forefront. It is worth mentioning that press freedom was ensured during the BNP's previous tenure as well, which prevented that faction's schemes from succeeding.

Instead, government officials, intelligence agencies, and key figures across various administrative positions who held a mindset to fight against radical fundamentalism returned to their patriotic duties. With their cooperation, Bangladesh reclaimed its lost pride. We witnessed how, after August 5, 2024, a certain faction sought to erase the very name of Bangladesh by destroying all historical symbols and monuments linked to the Liberation War overnight.

At the Vienna convention, where I presented the true state of Bangladesh's media, Nobel Laureate in Economics Joseph Stiglitz was present and delivered an insightful speech on strengthening independent journalism. Later, during an exclusive interaction with me, he shared a profound observation regarding "the value of public interest journalism for the benefit of healthy democratic societies in an age of authoritarianism, disinformation, and artificial intelligence."

During the event, I engaged in extensive discussions and established strong professional ties with Jodie Ginsberg, Chief Executive of CPJ; ThibautBruttin, Director General of RSF; and Scott Griffen, Executive Director of IPI. Surprisingly, the interim government failed to appreciate these high-level international connections constructively. Instead, they weaponized state machinery under their control in an attempt to harass me.

It remains deeply astonishing that no one within the domestic newspaper industry stepped forward in solidarity. Those who maintained silence under the guise of neutrality effectively displayed a form of cowardly inaction. Today, the print media industry faces a global crisis. Across the world, the media fraternity is uniting to find alternative models and strategic solutions to sustain journalism. Therefore, on the 13th anniversary of The Asian Age, I express my firm conviction: "A united media can be the core strength for tomorrow's success."

ShoebChowdhury is Chairman, Editorial Board of The Asian Age.