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Rahat Minhaz

  • Assistant Professor

রাহাত মিনহাজ: শিক্ষক, গবেষক, কলাম লেখক। শিক্ষকতার করছেন জগন্নাথ বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের গণযোগাযোগ ও সাংবাদিকতা বিভাগে। বর্তমানে সহকারী অধ্যাপক পদে কর্মরত। খণ্ডকালীন উপস্থাপক হিসেবে কাজ করছেন চ্যানেল টুয়েন্টি ফোরে। সাংবাদিক হিসেবে কাজ করেছেন চ্যানেল ওয়ান, এটিএন বাংলা, যমুনা টিভি ও চ্যানেল টুয়েন্টি ফোরে। ২০১৩ সালে পেয়েছেন মুক্তিযুদ্ধ যাদুঘরের বজলুর রহমান স্মৃতি পদক, আরও পেয়েছেন আবুল মনসুর আহমদ প্রবন্ধ লিখন পুরস্কার ২০১৮। মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, সাংবাদিকতা নিয়ে লেখকের ১১টি বই প্রকাশিত হয়েছে। যেগুলোর মধ্যে ‘সায়মন ড্রিং ও অন্যান্যের একাত্তর’, ‘নভেম্বর ক্যু’৭৫: অন্ধকার সময়ের সংবাদচিত্র’, ‘বঙ্গবন্ধুর ৭ই মার্চের ভাষণ: সংবাদপত্রের আধেয় বিশ্লেষণ’ ও ‘পশ্চিম পাকিস্তানে বঙ্গবন্ধুর বন্দি জীবন’ অন্যতম। শিক্ষকতার পাশাপাশি লেখক মুক্তিযুদ্ধ ও গণমাধ্যম নিয়ে নানা ধরনের গবেষণায় নিয়োজিত আছেন। তাঁর দাপ্তরিক নাম মিনহাজ উদ্দীন। জন্ম ও বেড়ে ওঠা উত্তরের শহর বগুড়ায়। উচ্চতর শিক্ষা গ্রহণ করেছেন ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের গণযোগাযোগ ও সাংবাদিকতা বিভাগে।
The tragic tale of Bangladeshi Journalism in Bibhuranjan’s last message
The tragic tale of Bangladeshi Journalism in Bibhuranjan’s last message

The tragic tale of Bangladeshi Journalism in Bibhuranjan’s last message

Some death news envelops people like a dense, cold fog. Some death news makes the rhythm of breathing longer and heavier. Some death news gathers steam inside the chest and truly makes it heavier. The news of journalist Bibhoranjan’s death felt much like this for Bangladeshi journalists. On Friday evening, before hearing the news of the death of this accomplished journalist, I was carefully reading his last ‘open letter’. In that letter, he laid bare a cruel picture of Bangladesh’s journalism. At the farewell of ending his life, he pointed out with his finger at how this world is full of brotherhood illusions, hollow, over-emotional, and unprofessional. Where, bit by bit, the lives of many journalists are being destroyed.

Let conspiracy theories on Zahir Raihan’s murder come to an end
Zahir Raihan

Let conspiracy theories on Zahir Raihan’s murder come to an end

One of the indispensable elements of war is propaganda. War means terrorising with information, distorting information. War means the constant attempt to occupy the psyche with distorted and false information. War means the battle of forgetfulness against memory. In the twentieth century, Hitler’s Propaganda Ministry (Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda), headed by Joseph Goebbels, set an extraordinary precedent in war propaganda. His central philosophy was: If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

Murder cases, mob violence now new weapons for journalist persecution
Murder cases

Murder cases, mob violence now new weapons for journalist persecution

George Orwell, the author of the world-renowned dystopian novel 1984, which deals with surveillance, fictional injustice, and authoritarianism, also expressed timeless views on journalism. One of them is: “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.” And truly so—the journalist’s job is to expose suppressed information, matters of public importance, and secret activities. The aim of journalism is to speak out against injustice, inconsistencies, and corruption. A journalist's mission is to act as an observer and protect people from being deceived and deprived. But questioning those in power, high-ranking officials, members of various forces, and people involved in crimes is a difficult task.

The lonely Helmsman of ‘71
The lonely Helmsman of ‘71

The lonely Helmsman of ‘71

It was around 11 p.m. Tajuddin Ahmad was restlessly pacing the lawn of his house on Sat Masjid Road in Dhanmondi. His face reflected deep anguish, inner conflict, and a storm of thoughts. Pakistani forces were advancing toward key targets in Dhaka. The entire city lay shrouded in a haunting silence. The nation stood at a perilous crossroads—there was no turning back.

November 75: Analyzing Khaled Mosharraf's political maneuvers
November 75: Analyzing Khaled Mosharraf's political maneuvers

November 75: Analyzing Khaled Mosharraf's political maneuvers

From 2009 to 2024, this day has been observed in a different context at the state and political levels. During this period, the narrative of the Awami League and the JASAD (National Socialist Party) was strongly established in the media and state apparatus. It is certain that in 2024, the day will be commemorated or observed in a new light. New discussions, new information, new equations, and new interpretations will emerge. Before diving into those discussions, let’s attempt to objectively understand what transpired during those few days.

Brutal testimony of deadly disaster
Brutal testimony of deadly disaster

Brutal testimony of deadly disaster

The year, 2013, was very turbulent in the history of Bangladesh politics. At that time, the trial of crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War was going on in the country which disturbed the members of Jamaat-e-Islami. Jamaat along with its student wing Chhatra Shibir was continuing a series of violent programmes protesting the trial. It was in the context of this trial that 'Gonojagoron Mancha' (mass-upsurge stage) emerged at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, ahead of the national elections, the movement to restore the caretaker government was going on under the banner of the 18-party alliance led by the BNP.