Uncompromising journalist Manik Mia's Daily Ittefaq has put its dignity on gamble!

M A Hossain

Legendary journalist Tofazzal Hussain (Manik Mia) has already made a prominent position in the subcontinent because of his extraordinary courage, patriotism  and intellect. None of the journalists of his time had been able to reach the height Manik Mia did. To the newspaper readers in the erstwhile East Pakistan and an independent Bangladesh, Daily Ittefaq enjoyed  a special place because of its prolific and unbiased reporting. Pakistani policy makers were always comparing the Bangla  Daily Ittefaq with leading Urdu daily the Jung. To the readers in the West Bengal in India, Ittefaq was the Ananda Bazar Patrika,published from East Pakistan. This huge popularity and acceptability of the Ittefaq has put this into the rank of the largest daily.

The gracious period of Ittefaq simply faded- out when it went into exclusive control of Anwar Hossain Manju, Manik Mia's younger son; who has already been proven as a political opportunist. Abandoning the dignity of being the editors of Ittefaq he was running after political opportunities. As a result, he became a cabinet minister in military dictator General Hussain Muhammed Ershad's cabinet. When Ershad formed his Jatiyo Party, Manju became its secretary general. He was considered as a blue-eyed boy in the inner circle of this military dictator. Following the fall of Ershad in 1990, Manju returned to Ittefaq as its editor. In 1996,when Bangladesh Awami League came to power with the supports of military dictator Ershad's Jatiyo Party and Jamaat e Islami; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formed a coalition with Ershad's party and Manju once again became a minister. Later he betrayed with Ershad and became a defacto leader of Jatiyo Party. Later he floated Jatiyo Party (JP- Manju) fraction.

In 2007,when military backed interim government came to power and began offensives on corruption, Anwar Hossain Manju fled the country with his wife Tasmima Hossain and took shelter in the US. He returned to Bangladesh in 2009 only after Awami League returned to power. For next few years, he was busy in facing corruption cases.

In 2014, when Awami League managed to retain a second consecutive term through a controversial election, Manju became a part of the government and once again - became a minister. His wife, Tasmima Hossain became the acting editor of Ittefaq.  By then, people had already realized Ittefaq becoming a mere propaganda machine of the government. The newspaper lost readership significantly and turned into sixth largest Bangla dailies from the rank of number one.

On 16 April 2018, this daily newspaper most possibly has committed suicide by publishing a twisted report against the students who had demonstrated against the quota system in the public jobs. Everyone clearly understood, it was Manju who plotted this wrong game simply with the desire of getting some 'extra kindness' from Sheikh Hasina. Through this report Manik Mia's Ittefaq has clinically died!

This article also published at:
1.Modern Ghana, Ghana
2.Globoble.com
3.Sunnyfmgh,Ghana
4.Ghana. direct. news
5.Ghana nation, Ghana