A dynamic editor, Golam Sarwar

I have worked under the leadership of six well-known editors in various organisations during my journalistic career spanning over four decades, and among them, the one I remember particularly is the respected Golam Sarwar (1943-2018). I first saw Sarwar Bhai at 1 Ramakrishna Mission Road, at the then-established Ittefaq Bhavan. During that time, I used to write regularly in the Daily Ittefaq's 'Kachikachar Asar' section. This was probably around 1976 or 1977. The late poet Iqbal Hasan, who was then the literary editor of the weekly Purvani published by Ittefaq Bhavan, introduced me to Sarwar Bhai. Besides being the news editor of the Daily Ittefaq, Sarwar Bhai also had overall responsibility for the weekly Purvani for some time. His experience in journalism in Chinese dates back much earlier than mine. On that occasion, my friend Iqbal Hasan introduced me to Sarwar Bhai.

If I remember correctly, I introduced myself by discussing his poems. He was pleased. He has also read my articles and poems published in the newspaper, he mentioned that. I couldn't even imagine that the minimal acquaintance of that day that would one day turn into deep intimacy. Afterwards, many times I went to the newsroom of Ittefaq to give press releases, sometimes I went out of Rahat Bhai's room, and along the way, I have seen so much, yet our interactions were limited to skillful exchanges.

Perhaps he would have shown me a little extra affection because of his being from the greater Barisal region. I felt that in that brief conversation. Poet Iqbal Hasan was perhaps his most affectionate and closest companion. Despite the age difference of almost a decade, their relationship was somewhat like that of friends. When the long-time Canadian expatriate Iqbal Hasan used to come to Dhaka, he would stay at Sarwar Bhai's house.

I came to realise even more deeply the extent of their intimacy after joining Samakal in 2008. Most senior figures within Bangladesh's media industry are well aware of the once paramount role held by the news editor of Dainik Ittefaq. News editors wielded even more influence than executive editors, a tradition that originated during the tenure of the renowned journalist Asaf ud Daula Reza Bhai. Consequently, Sarwar Bhai, the news editor, held sway over all matters pertaining to Ittefaq's news. Out of respect for his authority, we maintained a certain distance from him, which perhaps hindered the development of the kind of intimacy or closeness I shared with Iqbal Hasan for many years.

Our bond began to deepen in 1996, when the Awami League emerged victorious in the elections and was either in the process of forming or had already formed the government. On the front page of Ittefaq, Sarwar Bhai penned a poetic tribute to the victory of Bangabandhu's traditional political party, the Awami League, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. Stirred by the emotional resonance of his words, reminiscent of poetry, I reached out to Sarwar Bhai after reading the piece. At that time, I served as the assistant editor and periodical editor of Dainik Janakantha. Since then, every encounter has allowed us to gradually open up to each other. Serendipitously, I spent about six years at Samakal in close company with him thereafter, accumulating countless memories and experiences.

These memories remind me when I was invited to write an article by dear poet Girish Goiric on the occasion of the birthday (April 1st) of the esteemed and pioneering figure Golam Sarwar Bhai.

On the auspicious occasion of Golam Sarwar's 81st birthday, I deeply cherish the memory of this virtuous individual and pray for the salvation of his departed soul. When I joined Bangladesh Television as the Director of News, I had the opportunity to meet him several times. He often used to say, "When will our contarct end? You will work with me again. We need someone like you, an efficient editor, in our newsroom who can edit quickly and efficiently." "Come back," he would say. Since then, we embarked on a journey together, heading towards a new building at the Sat Rasta moor. The work environment there will be even more advanced.

At Samakal, I was supposed to join much earlier, i.e., in the first phase. In early 2005, Samakal publication was being prepared in a building adjacent to Bashundhara City Market. I met with a CV and expressed my interest to work with him at the same time. Maybe he couldn't believe that I would leave such a well-circulated paper like Dainik Janakantha to join him. He asked, 'Will you really come?' I replied, 'Of course, I will.' But I was surprised when the paper came out in May. He did not tell me anything else. I was not included in Samakal at the beginning. I joined Samakal in January 2008, probably in the first week. Then Sarwa bhai left Samakal. The editor is another well-known journalist, Abed Khan.

Fellow journalist writer Debbrata Chakraborty Vishnu suggested my name for the post of feature editor through managing editor Abu Saeed Khan. Janakantha was very poor at that time. One Eleven's military-supervised caretaker government was then in power. Atiqullah Khan Masood, the editor and publisher of Janakantha, was in jail at that time. There is no regular salary in the office. Toab Bhai was in America at that time. Janakantha's family is floating in the cold sea like a boat without a sailor. We are running the magazine with great difficulty as a committee. After the whole year of 2007, when I got this offer from Samakal, I told everything to the advisory editor Toab Bhai and to Mr. Atiqullah Khan Masood in the jail, I voluntarily resigned and left Samakal.

Within a few months, Abed Bhai left Samakal, and the founding editor, Golam Sarwar, returned. Sarwar bhai seemed a bit surprised to see me, but he didn't say anything. There was some distance between us for a while. However, it was unimaginable how well we did in the foundation anniversary edition. We featured writings from almost every eminent personality in Bangladesh. About 40 pages of special issues were published in three episodes over three days. We had contributions from renowned economists, political analysts, including Muhammad Yunus and Akbar Ali Khan, and even former Chief Justice Habibur Rahman, who rarely wrote anywhere other than Daily Prothom Alo. As long as I was involved, Habibur Rahman used to contribute to each of our special issues, which was a result of our personal relationship.

Day by day, I could sense Sarwar Bhai's satisfaction with my work. One day, Sarwar bhai mentioned, “Your work in the feature department finishes by five o'clock. Could you sit with me in the newsroom sometime in the evening and review some copies?” I gladly accepted his offer. He would hand me some reports that needed editing. For instance, if a report was originally 1200 words long but was written in 2000 words, I had to condense it to 800 words and provide a headline as quickly as possible. On the first day, I edited two extensive reports. He mentioned that he would address any linguistic weaknesses and trim unnecessary details from the report.

After reviewing my edited copy, he looked at me with fascination and remarked, 'You've worked in the newsroom before, haven't you?' I replied, 'Yes, I worked at the desk in Dainik Bangla.' After a few days of working together, Shaheed Chowdhury and Sabuj Yunus suggested, 'How about bringing Nasir to the newsroom?' Shaheed Chowdhury added, 'Nasir Bhai writes good Bengali, it's commendable.' Sabuj remarked, 'With a poet's touch, Nasir bhai has been writing columns in the Janakantha for a long time; it won't be a bad idea.'

A week later, one afternoon when I arrived at the office, I received a letter informing me of my promotion from feature editor to associate editor, along with a salary increase. On August 14, I was taken aback when Sarwar bhai said, 'August 15...’ You will write the lead. What is said is what is done." He was so pleased as he read the main report, enriched by the essence of poetry infused by Kavita's Intro. With meticulous treatment, he occasionally entrusted me with two more reports, each receiving an equally beautiful treatment.

For whatever reason, someone might have given him a negative impression of me, which is why he did not take me up initially at Samakal. The doubt or inertia that he had for a long time about my intellectual talent, as if day by day, the opposite position was formed. He had no idea about my connections in political circles. He commented after reading the book Five Years of Coalition Rule. I was then a member of the Censor Board, a member of the Asiatic Society, a member of the Dhaka University Association, a first class student of the Bengali department, and as everything unfolded in front of his eyes day by day, I kept a huge fascination in him. In 2009, a minister invited Sarwar Bhai to his house for a late night dinner with other friends of the minister. Sarwar bhai also took me with him. He said, "Let's take some of your books and give them to some people." I took three copies of 'Five Years of Coalition Rule' and my 'Poetry Collection'.

I have known the minister for a long time. Dr. Hasan Mahmud, the then Minister of State for Forest and Environment, was present. As he noticed my book on the table, he nodded and remarked about the remaining copies, suggesting that one copy could be gifted. With gratitude, I presented him with a copy of 'Five Years of Coalition Rule.' Sarwar Bhai was delighted to witness my interactions with numerous attendees during the event. The ensuing days were filled with joy, a reminder that even prominent individuals have their minor constraints.

Despite a sense of emotion lingering in my mind, I made the decision to depart from Samakal if an opportunity arose. While Sarwar bhai was visiting his daughter's home in America, I informed him of my decision over the phone. Though he attempted to interject, I proceeded to join Dainik Bartaman as Joint Editor cum Acting Editor. Rahat Khan Bhai assumed the role of advisory editor there. While one might have anticipated Sarwar bhai's displeasure, to my surprise, he extended his congratulations over the phone when I later left the position after a year to become the director of BTV (Barta).

During my time working alongside him, I witnessed firsthand the dynamic nature of his editorial prowess. Referred to as a full-time editor, he personally reviewed every report, meticulously scrutinising each detail. With an unparalleled swiftness, he crafted headlines, sometimes infusing them with poetic flair in mere moments. Wherever he went, he carried a newspaper in his mind, a testament to his dedication to the craft. Since the days of Toab Khan, I hadn't encountered an editor of such caliber. Although he may no longer be with us today, I believe many will cherish his remarkable skills and the memories of his invaluable contributions to building the newspaper team.

Author: Poet and Journalist