Golam Sarwar was an uncompromising journalist and editor

In the world of journalism in Bangladesh, everyone regards Gholam Sarwar as a mentor. This esteemed journalist was born on April 1, 1943. On August 13, 2018, he bid us farewell. On the occasion of his 81st birth anniversary, 'Views Bangladesh' organized 'Golum Sarwar Special Issue'. Rashed Mehedi, the editor of "Views Bangladesh," spoke about the illustrious journalistic career of Golum Sarwar, alongside his son-in-law Miah Naeem Habib. He was closely associated with Golum Sarwar during the founding of two newspapers, Jugantor and Samakal.

Views Bangladesh: Golum Sarwar, our mentor in journalism, served as the news editor of the Daily Ittefaq for a long time. Perhaps, rarely has anyone been a news editor for such a long period in a newspaper. Later, he started the Daily Jugantor newspaper and became its editor. A new chapter began in his career as an editor, and he succeeded in it. At that time, the circulation of Jugantor was very good, even than Prothom Alo. Then he embarked on another journey of editing with another national daily, Samakal. We want to know more about this successful transition from news editor to editor.
Miah Nayem Habib: Speaking from a family perspective, I never imagined how successful he would be transitioning from a news editor to an editor. When he was at Ittefaq, he was concerned about the working environment there due to the rivalry between the two brothers who owned the newspaper. He wondered whether he could continue working at Ittefaq without compromising his journalistic integrity. As far as I know, Managing Director of Jamuna Group, Nurul Islam Babul, went to then government minister and Awami League leader Tofayel Ahmed.
Tofayel Ahmed was informed by Mr. Babul that he wanted to start a newspaper. At that time, Mr. Tofayel told Mr. Babul, 'If you can get Golum Sarwar, the news editor of Ittefaq, then it will be great. Shahjahan Sardar, a prominent journalist of Ittefaq, was there at the time. He called Golum Sarwar and informed him that Mr. Babul of Jamuna Group would start a newspaper. They want you to take the responsibility of editor for this newspaper. Golum Sarwar mentioned that he needed to go to America for some check-ups. His entire family resides in America. He said he would discuss with them. Then he went to America. One day he gathered everyone at home and said, 'I want to leave Ittefaq and join a new newspaper as an editor, what do you say?' None of us agreed. Ittefaq is such a big newspaper, and he had been working there for so long.
Only his daughter Ratna said, "Dad, this is your second life. I think whatever you decide to do will be fine, even if you want to start a new newspaper." Encouraged by his daughter's support, he announced his decision to start a new newspaper.
There's an interesting anecdote from that time that everyone loves to hear. He called his grandson and said, "Bring paper and pen, and also bring a mug." Then he wrote down some newspaper names on the paper, folded them, and put them inside the mug. He told his daughter, "Pick one piece of paper." She picked one, and it read - 'Jugantor'! He said, "My newspaper will be named 'Daily Jugantor'. Then he asked me to fetch him a diary. He asked me to call Tofayel Ahmed and talk with him. Tofayel Ahmed said, “Sarwar Bhai, you come. You are leaving Ittefaq, good news. You start a new newspaper, best wishes. We'll talk further after the newspaper is published."
After that, he came to Dhaka and told me, 'You come back to the country, help me with some work.' Two months after he returned to the country, I came back to Dhaka. When I arrived, I saw that he had left Ittefaq. He was operating from a camp office at Rajmoni Esha Khan. At that time, he was hiring people from various places. My journey started with him from there. Eventually, 'Jugantor' was published. Within 13-14 months, 'Jugantor' rose to the top of the circulation charts.

Views Bangladesh: We know that the position of the news editor at Jugantor was vacant for a long time. How did he fulfill that position?
Miah Nayem Habib: For Jugantor, nearly 90% of the staff had been hired, but the position of the news editor was vacant. He had someone in mind whom he really liked. He was very eager for Manzurul Ahsan Bulbul to become the news editor of his newspaper. He told me, " When you meet Bulbul just talk to him a little. Ask him to join Jugantor. I have kept the position vacant for him. I told Bulbul bhai, "Your mentor has kept the position vacant for you." Bulbul bhai said, "I will go to Mymensingh for a while, will talk to my mother, and then I will meet Sarwar bhai." Two days later, he came from Mymensingh and met Golum Sarwar and he joined Jugantor as the news editor.
The journey of 'Daily Jugantor' probably began in February 2000. He had told me, "You will come when the dummy will be released." Unaware, I couldn't make it on that day. He called me and said, "Until you come, we won't open the dummy." There, Mr. Babul and his wife Salma Islam were waiting. No one opened the dummy until I arrived. After I arrived, Golum Sarwar opened the dummy. This incident is unique in my life.

Views Bangladesh: Sarwar bhai had left that 'Jugantor' again, why did he leave?
Miah Nayem Habib: He wanted Jugantor to be for the readers and to remain steadfast in truthful reporting. He never compromised with anyone, whether it was family, party, or ideology. He maintained professionalism in journalism. For three years, he had been managing Jugantor professionally. The owner of Jugantor, Mr. Babul, wanted to publish some commercial and personal issues in the newspaper. This was unacceptable to Golam Sarwar. This created conflict in his mind. At one point, when he couldn't bear it anymore, he thought, "No, I won't stay in this newspaper." He decided to think about something new. That's how he left Jugantor.

Views Bangladesh: Regarding "Daily Samakal," how did he become interested?
Miah Nayem Habib: Many in the media knew that Ghulam Sarwar was quitting 'Yugantar'. Many showed interests to invest with him. Communicated with him and me. Then I became somewhat known as his daughter-in-law. Faraji Ajmal Hossain was a journalist of Ittefaq at that time. He called me one day and said, come to the press club, I have a little talk with you. When I went to the press club, he told me, there is a gentleman, A. K. Azad, he is the leader of Hameem group, he wants to start a magazine. He requested Sarwar bhai to think about it. Then I told my father in law (Gholam Sarwar), "Let's go and talk to Mr. Azad and see how it goes. If you like it, we'll proceed; if not, we won't. It's up to you." He agreed, and we went to Mr. A.K. Azad's house to discuss. There was an agreement between the two. After that, the journey of "Daily Samakal" began. There were many obstacles at the beginning, especially regarding obtaining the declaration. However, with Gholam Sarwar's determination, those obstacles didn't take much time to overcome.

Views Bangladesh: What kind of obstacles were there in the declaration?
Miah Nayem Habib: Babul Sahib of Jamuna Group thought that if Golam Sarwar publishes a newspaper, it will have a serious impact on the future. “Jugantor" has already established itself, largely due to the influence of Gholam Sarwar. Because of this, "Samakal" had difficulty obtaining its declaration, prompting efforts to prevent it as much as possible. Despite all efforts to delay the declaration, "Samakal" was delayed by six months. However, the establishment of Samakal could not be prevented. I myself traveled extensively throughout various regions of Bangladesh for nearly three months, attending numerous meetings even in remote areas and villages. Despite all obstacles, "Samakal" showed tremendous courage in its determination to be published under the editorship of Gholam Sarwar.

Views Bangladesh: How did the name 'Samakal' come about?
Miah Nayem Habib: The origin of the name "Samakal" is not something I am familiar with. “Samakal" was named by Golam Sarwar himself. It is speculated that the name was inspired by a weekly magazine named "Samakal" that existed long before. He adopted the name from there.

Views Bangladesh: We have seen that he was not in Samakal for a few days, what was the reason for this?
Miah Nayem Habib: This was about the price. At that time, several new newspapers had entered the market. Golam Sarwar then told publisher Mr. A.K. Azad that the price of the newspaper needed to be reduced; however, publisher A.K. Azad said that if the price of the newspaper was reduced, they would incur significant losses and they cannot afford to incur this loss. This created a dilemma between them. My father in law said, "I won't work." My father in law (Abba) was called back to Jugantor again. Mr. Babul's son, MD Shamim, told me that the situation at Jugantor is bad, and he asked Sarwar Sahib to come for a while. Abba went back to Jugantor for two years. While he was at Jugantor, Mr. Azad said again, "You come to Samakal, otherwise Samakal will end." Then he came back to Samakal again. Even after coming to Samakal, many people told him to start a new newspaper. He refused. He made it clear that he would not start another newspaper. That's the end. It is remembered that he once said while sitting at Samakal, "May I die in this newsroom.”

View Bangladesh: He employed many people in 'Jugantar' and 'Samakal' newspapers. What issues did he give importance to in the selection of journalists, officials and employees?
Miah Nayem Habib: I was there from the beginning to the end and I was also part of the recruitment team. We live in the same house, I am his son-in-law; But I never gave him any personal opinion. Because I knew, he was so professional, he used to scrutinize even taking an office boy. He kept a keen eye on what professional qualities an office boy should have. Even if someone, including myself, suggested something, he would consider it, but if he didn't like it, he wouldn't accept it. However, he highly valued the assessment of work. Mizanur Rahman Khan, who worked as the co-editor at Yugantar, had a low salary. One day he told me, "I feel like I can't work anymore. I've found a job at the Australian High Commission, with a good salary, but I feel ashamed to tell Sarwar bhai." I informed my father in law. He said, "Give me seven days." He then increased his salary by appointing him as a special representative. To appoint him as a special representative, two more senior individuals were also needed at that time, as those two were seniors. Despite being seniors, those two had nothing compared to Mizanur Rahman Khan's capabilities.
I have seen that even in Samakal, he appointed a young journalist named Shahadat Hossen Porosh as a special representative. I said, "Father, the fact that you appointed Porosh as a special representative in Samakal, but you could do that even one or two years later, there are also several seniors available. He said, "Look, journalism is such a field where talent is more important than age. I understand that, but you won't be able to. How can someone like me, at the age of just 32, edit the newspaper's content like a coincidence with the coordination of two brothers! So, age is not the issue here; competency is the key factor."

Views Bangladesh: Another important aspect is the newspaper's marketing. I have seen Sarwar Bhai being consistently successful in the field of newspaper marketing by creating a strategy. How has this been possible?
Miah Nayem Habib: Here, I must say, one day I asked him, how did he make Jugantor so popular in such a short time?’ He said, "Look, before starting Jugantor, there was something on my mind that I had tried to achieve, when I was at Ittefaque. But unfortunately, I couldn't achieve that. Since I am the editor of Jugantor, I have the authority to make decisions. At that time, there was one thing on my mind that when a newspaper enters a home, it should reach not only the owner of that home but also their children, spouse, domestic workers, and even the driver. I wanted the newspaper to resonate with the readers in that way. I created Jugantor with that vision."

Views Bangladesh: We have seen some difference from the way he took marketing policy in the era. 'Samakal' was somewhat of an intellectual genre, a magazine for sophisticated thinking readers. Most popular among teachers, students, professional readers. What is your opinion on this?
Miah Nayem Habib: You are absolutely right. The approach taken by Jugantor was not replicated by Samakal. Instead, he formulated a new ideology to create Samakal. He focused on a marketing strategy for Jugantor that emphasized the need to be at the forefront of promotion. Whereas, he aimed to position Samakal as an attractive newspaper. Yes, you may be aware that according to a BBC survey, Samakal held the top position in Bangladesh in terms of editorial quality alone for a continuous period of 5 to 6 years. The second position was held by Daily Star, while the third position was occupied by Prothom Alo. However, at that time, Samakal's circulation was only a third of Prothom Alo's.

Views Bangladesh: Golam Sarwar bid us farewell in 2018. It can be said that there is no one in Bangladesh comparable to Golam Sarwar as a journalist-editor. He himself transformed in journalism. Golam Sarwar's professional life can also serve as inspiration for future generations. In this regard, what initiatives can his family and the state take?
Miah Nayem Habib: Golam Sarwar has been gone for five years now. In these five years, no national initiative has been seen. I feel very sad and surprised. If Golam Sarwar is honored through various workshops, seminars, and publications, then the world of journalism in Bangladesh will be further developed. Many young journalists will benefit from this. Abba used to often say, "The liberation war is not over; each journalist is a freedom fighter. Every journalist has to work for the liberation war every day." I feel even more distressed that despite founding Samakal and serving as its editor, proper respect was not accorded even after Golam Sarwar's demise. Nowhere in Samakal's history is Golam Sarwar's name seen, nor is his picture found. If Golam Sarwar had been given appropriate respect as the founder and editor-in-chief of Samakal, it would have enhanced the dignity of Samakal even further. However, if an initiative is taken to spread awareness about Golam Sarwar's contributions and honor his legacy in journalism, active support will be extended from the family's side.

Views Bangladesh: Thank you so much.
Miah Nayem Habib: Thank you too.