Founder(s) | Hamidul Huq Choudhury |
---|---|
Founded | 1949 |
Website | https://www.bangladeshobserver.com/ |
The Bangladesh Observer, founded by Hamidul Huq Choudhury in 1949, [1] [2] was the oldest continuously published English-language daily newspaper in Bangladesh until it ceased publication in June 2010.
Since its inception as The Pakistan Observer in 1949, the newspaper consistently followed an independent editorial policy, reflecting both the personality of its owner Hamidul Huq Choudhury and its long time editor Abdus Salam, and was an appropriate stance considering the tumultuous history of the region. Mohammad Shehabullah served as the newspaper's first editor. Shehabullah was succeeded by Abdus Salam, who served as editor of The Pakistan Observer from 1949 to 1972.
The East Pakistan provincial government imposed an embargo on the newspaper's publication under the repressive Public Safety Act in February 1952. This was in response to the newspaper's strong support for the East Pakistan language movement and demands for provincial autonomy. Both Hamidul Huq Choudhury and Abdus Salam were arrested at this time to stifle the voice of the press. The United Front government withdrew the embargo in May 1954 following the coalitions landslide electoral victory. In the early 1960s, the paper was black-listed and deprived of government advertising by the military government of General Ayub Khan due to its support for greater autonomy for East Pakistan.
Immediately after the creation of Bangladesh, The Pakistan Observer was renamed The Bangladesh Observer in December 1971. Its management was taken over by the Bangladesh government in January 1972. [2] The military government of General Hussain Mohammed Ershad restored the newspaper to its original owner Hamidul Huq Choudhury in January 1984. [2] On June 8, 2010, The Bangladesh Observer announced that it had ceased publication. [3] [4] [5]
The Bangladesh Awami League, often simply called the Awami League, is one of the major political parties in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played a large role in achieving Bangladeshi independence both before and after the Bangladesh Liberation War. As one of the two most dominant parties in the country, along with its archrival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, it has been the ruling party since 2009, and has since been described as authoritarian.
Shah Azizur Rahman was a Bangladeshi politician who served as the prime minister of Bangladesh. However, he was the subject of considerable controversy for his collaboration with the Pakistan Army against the struggle for the independence of Bangladesh.
The East Pakistan Provincial Assembly, known as the East Bengal Legislative Assembly between 1947 and 1955, was the provincial legislature of East Pakistan between 1947 and 1971. It was known as the East Bengal Assembly from 1947 to 1955 when the provincial name was changed. The legislature was a successor to the Bengal Legislative Council and the Bengal Legislative Assembly, which were divided between East Bengal and West Bengal during the partition of Bengal in 1947. It was the largest provincial legislature in Pakistan. Elections were held only twice in 1954 and 1970.
Abdus Salam was a demonstrator who died during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations which took place in the erstwhile East Bengal, Pakistan in 1952. He is considered a martyr in Bangladesh.
Mahfuz Anam is a Bangladeshi journalist. He serves as editor and publisher of The Daily Star, one of Bangladesh's largest circulating English-language newspapers. After working in the United Nations for 14 years, Anam co-founded the newspaper with his mentor Syed Mohammad Ali in 1991 during Bangladesh's democratic transition. His criticism of the country's two largest political parties and the military has often resulted in him being sued; Anam dismisses the charges and the suits as attacks on press freedom. He was elected for a second term as chairman of the Asia News Network in 2022 and 2023.
Ataur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi lawyer, politician and writer, and served as Chief Minister of East Pakistan from 1 September 1956 – March 1958, and as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 30 March 1984 to 9 July 1986.
Abdus Salam was a newspaper editor of Bangladesh. He edited The Pakistan Observer, which was renamed The Bangladesh Observer after the liberation of Bangladesh.
Hamidul Huq Chowdhury (1901–1992) was a Pakistani-Bangladeshi politician. He was the founder of The Pakistan Observer, an English-language newspaper which changed its name to The Bangladesh Observer after the Bangladesh Liberation War. He was educated in Dhaka and Calcutta, and had a career as a lawyer, politician and newspaper proprietor.
Abdul Monem Khan was a Bengali politician of East Pakistan who was the longest serving governor of East Pakistan from 1962 until 1969. He was assassinated in 1971 at aged 72.
Amar Desh is a defunct daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language since 2004. Amar Desh provides news about Bangladesh from local and regional perspectives and covers international news. Amar Desh is considered a popular opposition newspaper in Bangladesh and takes an editorial stance that favours the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. The newspaper has been closed down by the government of Bangladesh.
Bengalis in Pakistan are ethnic Bengali people who had lived in either West Pakistan or East Pakistan prior to 1971 or live in present-day Pakistan. Most Pakistani Bengalis, are bilingual speaking both Urdu and Bengali and are mainly settled in Karachi. Bengalis that arrived in Pakistan before 1971 have now assimilated with the Urdu-speaking people in Karachi.
Obaidul Huq was a Bangladeshi journalist, cinematographer, playwright and writer. He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 1981 by the Government of Bangladesh.
Chowdhury is a title of honour, usually hereditary, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an adaption from Sanskrit. During the Mughal rule, it was a title awarded to eminent people, while during British rule, the term was associated with zamindars and social leaders. The common female equivalent was Chowdhurani.
Khondakar Abu Taleb (1921-1971) was a Bangladeshi journalist who was killed by Pakistani Army in the Bangladesh Liberation and is considered a "martyr" in Bangladesh.
Mahbubul Huq was a Member of the 3rd National Assembly of Pakistan as a representative of East Pakistan.
Khan Bahadur Abdul Hakim was a Bangladeshi educationist and writer. He was the former Dhaka Division school inspector. He was awarded both Khan Shaheb and Khan Bahadur by British Raj. He later served as the president of the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh and established its first scholarship endowment.