birthday
There are some people who know how to dream, who know how to dream. Some people can transmit their dreams to others. Abed Khan is a dreamer of rare talent. Some people live in society, who are socially responsible throughout their lives. This responsibility turns their lifestyle into a vow. They are organizations without being with any organization. Human height exceeds their physical height. Their initiation into the welfare mantra comes from their responsibility towards the society, towards the country and towards the people. In the world of thoughts and consciousness of these people, only the welfare of people is thought. No thought outside of human welfare ever touches them. Abed Khan is the one who can immerse himself not in cheap commercial popularity but in the collective good. Abed Khan is dear to me and many. He is a journalist—that identity is enough for him. Today is the birthday of the creative man.
The Khan family of Satkhira is well known not only in Bangladesh but also in the educated and cultural circles of this subcontinent. Abed Khan was born in Rasulpur of this Satkhira district. About Maulana Akram Khan, editor of 'Dainik Azad' newspaper of undivided India, his grandfather. At the age of 17, in 1962, Abed Khan also started journalism through Dainik Jehad newspaper. He joined Dainik Sangbad in 1963 after working for a year as co-editor of this daily. Joined Dainik Ittefa in 1964. Here he successfully served as shift in-charge, chief reporter, assistant editor. From 2009, he served as the founding editor of 'Dainik Kale Kantha'. On June 30, 2011, he joined ATN News as Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief after resigning from Kal Kantha. He resigned from ATN News in April 2013.
Abed Khan is an active freedom fighter of our great freedom struggle. On March 1, 1971, he started the preparatory phase of the independence war as the convener of the Swadhin Bangla Sangram Parishad Committee in the Narinda-Wari region of Old Dhaka. He left Dhaka on March 29. In June, he presented to the world through Aakashbani Betar Kendra in Kolkata as an eyewitness to the terrible devastation of world history that took place on Sangamb, Daily People, Ittefaq Bhavan and all over Dhaka. Major Abu Osman Chowdhury was Abed Khan's sector commander in sector number 8 in our liberation war. Later, Major Manzoor served as the commander of this sector. Captain Safiqullah was the commander of Abed Khan's sub-sector. Apart from this, Abed Khan was one of the convenors of the western region of the National Liberation Struggle Coordinating Council consisting of 12 left parties in June.
In August 1972, after independence, Ittefa began to publish its series of investigative reports, 'Open Secret'. 'Open Secret' can be said to be an important milestone in investigative journalism in Bangladesh. 'Open Secret' is still unrivaled as a 'reference' in this field of study. While serving as assistant editor in the editorial department of Ittefaq, he penned a column titled 'Nivedan Iti' under the pseudonym Abhajan. This 'Nivedan Eti' also got unprecedented readership at that time.
After being exempted from Ittefaq, he started writing in the top newspapers of the country as a columnist. Since 1995 Jankantha published its 'Abhajan Nivadaan' on the editorial page and published comment reports titled 'Let Dewar Be Light' on the front page. At that time, his writings were regularly published in the expatriate edition of the popular Indian Bengali daily 'Anandabazar Patrika'. After leaving the institution, Abed Khan himself became a self-sufficient institution.
After independence, he wrote the script for a satirical talk show on Bangladesh Radio. His humor-rich talk show is a huge hit with the audience. Apart from print media, Abed Khan gained popularity in electronic media from this time. He entered the cultural sphere of Bangladesh Television in 1978. Abed Khan and Dr. Sanjida Akhtar's serialized magazine show 'Tumi Aar Ami', written and presented by the couple, became popular from the very beginning. He performed the responsibility of hosting the music magazine program 'Eke Vrinte' with couple-artists. In 1984, 1986 and 1990, the Abed Khan-Sanjida couple hosted and edited the Eid 'Anand Mela' program. This couple is one of the people who have touched the peak of popularity of the 'Anandamela' Eid event in contact with the virtuous people.
From 1999 to 2001, he worked as the Head of News and Current Affairs at Ekushey Television. Ekushey has been associated with television since its inception. Earlier his investigative television reporting series 'Behind the Scenes' in 1996-99 was another popular television-journalism show.
Abed Khan is the author of many books. Among the books published are Conspiracy Endangered Politics, (Volume I & II) Abhajan Nivanda, Hara Hier Nikunjapatha.
His long journey has not been smooth at all; Rather, most of it was thorny. An ideal patriot has to face obstacles and overcome them while walking on the path of truth and ideals. He also had to do it. Many evil forces have to be defeated. The sword of the tyrant has come down on this freedom fighter and journalist, the soldier of Bangabandhu's ideology, at different times. In 1987 dictator Ershad banned him from radio television and plotted to exile him for harboring and espousing Bangabandhu's idealistic political ideas. During the BNP-Jamaat period in 2001, various conspiracies and conspiracies were made against this soldier of the great liberation war. His struggling life was marred by various assault cases including the Mymensingh cinema hall bombing. He was harassed and slandered by the then Jamaat-BNP or the opposition forces of the liberation war. Yet this fearless soldier could not be stopped; Rather, the man who was inspired by the spirit of the liberation war remained steadfast in fulfilling his duty and vow to his country and people in Bir Darp. He has always taken a tough stand against religious fundamentalism and communal evil, both on the streets and intellectually. Wherever the minority communities of the country were oppressed, he physically went and stood by them. After the liberation war government came to power in 1996, he risked his life in the southern part of the country and took the main initiative to hand over weapons and surrender to the terrorists. At that time, it was possible to free the southern part of the country from the grip of anti-state militants due to the cooperation of the former interior minister late Mohammad Nasim.
Abed Bhai turned 80 today. He still sees the dream of a non-sectarian and egalitarian Bangladesh. We are the fellow passengers of Abed Khan's dream journey. Happy birthday Abed brother.
Author: All European Awami League President
E-mail: nazrul@gmx.at