Salute to renowned journalist Monajatuddin

I don't know how much today's young generation knows about Monajatuddin's name and his unique contribution to journalism. When our generation got into the profession (1976), Monajatuddin was a burning name as a journalist dedicated to the welfare of grassroots people. It is not easy for a journalist from a township in the northern region, which is highly backward in terms of communication, to gain recognition throughout the country, including the capital city Dhaka, with his professional acumen.

It would be wrong to say he got recognition; instead, it must be noted that Monajatuddin achieved stardom. He started his journalistic career at a very young age before independence. First in a local newspaper and later in several papers in Dhaka. However, he worked for the most extended period in Bangladesh's traditional progressive daily Sangbad. Later, in 1995, he Dainik Janakantha. As such, he was also my colleague.

He could not work for a long time in Daily Janakantha. He drowned in Jamuna, falling into the from a ferry while performing his professional duties within a span of just a few months. Almost three decades have passed, but the mystery of his death has not been solved! Questions arose back then as to why he fell into the river. The then government constituted an inquiry committee to unravel the mystery of the death, but the inquiry report did not see the light of day.

The question of whether his death was natural or unnatural cannot be ruled out, nor can reasonable grounds for suspicion be ruled out. Initially, he was a professional journalist fighting for the disenfranchised people. Those who had a vested interest in his journalism were against him for this reason. Monajatuddin was never afraid of the glare of the administration. He always kept the dignity of the profession above personal gain and greed. That's why he was an extraordinarily warm personality despite living a straightforward life due to a tightening financial situation.

This Ekushey Medal was awarded to a journalist who wanted to help the ordinary people of the remote town of Rangpur, which had been separated from the capital, Dhaka, for a long time and was in dire need. It is a shame that he could not accept this prestigious award himself. It was given to him posthumously.

He has several publications written in light of his journalistic experience and some creative literary works. Monajat Uddin wrote literary and journalistic literature in almost the exact parallel. I first saw him on the page of Sangbad's "Khelaghorer Asor. I was familiar with his rhymes before actually meeting him. At that time, I was working in the Weekly Ganamukti Patrika, published at 91 Nawabpur Road, and "Khealaghorer Asor" was in Bangshal.

I would attend literary sessions in Bangshal and later in Purana Paltan. I first met him when Sangbad was in Bangsal, and we gradually became friends. Come hell or high waters, how hard he worked to find sensational stories was a talk from the tea table of Dhaka media to the government office.

There were many pioneers in mufassil journalism. There were dedicated elders like Shafiuddin Saheb of Munshiganj. But Monajat Uddin got the honorable title of pioneer of mufassil journalism. He added a new dimension to investigative reporting. Suppose a minister has gone to the area, and if Monajat Uddin needed to leave the city for a distant village for an important story, he would leave.

The minister's news had to be printed by news agencies. In just 50 years of life (January 18, 1945 to December 29, 1995), his significant role in journalism is indelible. The contribution of renowned journalist Monajat Uddin to developing the quality of life of marginalized people by creating public opinion and attracting the government's attention by collecting news from the spot and publishing it on a national daily is unparalleled. He used to take the photographs carried with his stories, to the amazement of the photojournalists of Dhaka.

Living in rural townships and mainly mingling with ordinary people at the grassroots level, Monajat Uddin was an intelligent modern man who finessed his writing, maintained a clean taste in living, and made his creative literature accessible to the contemporary reader. That is why the journalist Monajatuddin was able to gain a place in the minds of informed readers as a writer, too. The primary objective of his writing was to uplift the lives of the grassroots people. The back story of his reporting always included the ordinary people of rural Bengal.

His books, Kahini of Shah Alam and Mujibar, Path to Path, Kansonar Mukh ebong Sangbad Nepothye, and Payraband Shekar Sangbad exemplify these stories. His Journalism and literary works bloomed parallelly like flowers and leaves on the same stem. He gifted me Kanshonar Mukh with his autograph. As far as I can remember, while I was in charge of Janakantha's weekly periodical, I also arranged to print the introductory discussion of two books.

As his joining the Janakhata has come, I remember his appointment in this context. He has been working at Sangbad for quite some time. One day, in an editorial meeting, the honorable advisor editor of Janakantha, Towab Khan, told us he wanted to appoint Monajat Uddin to Janakantha. He also said he had spoken today to the city editor, news editor, and others. When asked for our opinion, we all welcomed his decision, including ATM Shamsuddin Bhai, Shubo Rahman, and the Poet Yusuf Pasha. That's when Towab Bhai discussed in detail some sensational reports of Monajat Uddin published in Sangbad.

Towab Khan's reading was extensive. Whether it was in India or Bangladesh, he knew about the well-written stories and had read most of them. We would be surprised when he talked about such stories in our editorial meetings. Especially I have not read these novels of Narayan Gangopadhyay, though I am a good reader of Bengali literature, and the poet Yusuf Pasha was a student of Bengali literature. From that craving for reading, Towab Khan would talk to us about any good reports published in Dhaka dailies. Naturally, he knew the journalist Monajat Uddin was better than we did.

About a month and a half after this discussion, Monajat Uddin came to the Janakantha office one day and got to know us anew after joining. Unfortunately, we didn't get him for long. Towab Bhai was very comfortable leaving the burden of North Bengal reporting on him. His death hurt Janakantha deeply in terms of special reporting. Towab Khan discussed it in detail after his death. Monajat Uddin was happy to join the Janakantha family, and we saw that satisfaction in him.

We will remember Monajatuddin for his idealism and unflinching honesty in journalism. I am saying this because many don't take bribes for lack of opportunity. Still, people like Monajat Uddin ignore numerous temptations and calls by sacrificing the beast of greed. It is impossible to evaluate his literary works' merit in this short space. Drama was also an important genre among his creative writings, including rhymes, poems and stories, back stories behind his reporting, etc. Although he has only one published plays, an avid theater-loving Monajat Uddin acted on stage plays and wrote many scripts for the stage.

On December 29, 1995, while gathering news at Phulchari Ghat in Gaibandha, Monajat Uddin fell from the ferry boat and disappeared forever. The loss of a journalist like him at 50 is irreparable to our journalism. We can only compensate for that by refining our decadent institution and exposing the young generation to the ideals of Monajatuddin, the journalist.

Writer: Poet and journalist