The news was heartbreaking for me as the Bangladesh media outlets reported – Mahbubul Alam, former editor of The Independent, passed away in a hospital in Dhaka today (June 6, 2014) at the age of 78. The veteran journalist of Bangladesh started his career with Associated Press of Pakistan in 1957 and retired as the editor of The Independent last year after serving the prominent English daily published from Dhaka for 18 long years.

By Nava J. Thakuria

Mahbub-bhai, as he was popularly known among Dhaka based journalists, also edited the weekly Dialogue, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha and The New Nation in different time periods. He was also involved with the Bangladesh Press Council, Press Institute of Bangladesh, National Press Club, Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh etc from time to time. A tireless preacher of democracy and free thinking, Mahbub-bhai also lectured on various Bangladesh affairs in different universities in the USA.

Hailing from Munsiganj, Alam completed Masters in Political Science from Dhaka University. Besides journalism, he served the Bangladesh government in various capacities from an adviser to the caretaker government, and was spokesperson to Bangladesh foreign ministry to press counselor to an ambassador to Bhutan.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury etc have expressed grief in separate condolence messages at the demise of Mahbub-bhai, who left behind three daughters, now living in America,
and many well wishers.

It was in 2001, when I first met Mahbubul-bhai in the office of The Independent. In fact, he was the first Bangladeshi editor whom I got to know and occasionally talked to him from my home city (Guwahati in northeast India). At that time, the Internet communication facility was not popular in Assam and Guwahati had hardly five Internet cafes. The rate was much higher like 60 rupees per hour.

Sitting in a Guwahati Internet café one day, I browsed the e-mail contacts of The Independent and sent a mail addressing the editor with an interest to write for his newspaper from Assam. Moreover, I wanted the contact number of Dr Muhammad Yunus, the creator of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. At that time, Prof Yunus, who pioneered the concept of micro-finance and social business, was not popular in our region. Of course, he was a well known personality in Bengal.

I generated the idea (and interest) to meet Prof.Yunus following a long article in Desh, a Bengali magazine published by the Kolkata based Ananda Bazar Patrika group. It was a cover story with the projection of Prof.Yunus expecting the Nobel award for Economics in the coming years. The economist turned banker received the prestigious award (jointly with the Grameen Bank) five years later, though it was not for Economics, but peace.

Two or three days later, I got an e-mail from the office of The Independent, where it was said that its editor Mahbubul Alam welcomed me to Dhaka any time. Moreover the mail mentioned three telephone (all were fixed line) numbers of the Grameen Bank headquartered at Mirpur in Dhaka.

I dialed up the numbers and finally could fix a tentative date for an appointment with Prof. Yunus. The respondent said I can have at the most 30 minutes with the managing director of the Grameen Bank in his office chamber. I agreed happily, as it was a rare opportunity for me.

Till then I had not applied for a visa to visit Bangladesh. And I had no idea about the hurdles getting a visa for an Indian journalist to visit Bangladesh (or vice-versa). Soon I travelled to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, which is adjacent to the Akhaura locality of Bangladesh. With some trouble I got the visa for probably a week from the Bangladesh consulate office in Agartala. And accordingly I entered Bangladesh through the Akhaura check post. After one hour of cycle rickshaw and three hours of passenger train journey I finally arrived at the Kamalapur railway station of Dhaka.

Getting a budget hotel near to the railway station, I called the office of The Independent to put me to the editor. Soon a spongy voice welcomed me. It was Mahbubul Alam, “Oh, you have arrived. Are you coming to my office now?” It was already 8 pm (Bangladesh is ahead of India by 30 minutes). Moreover I had no idea about the city. But contrary to my hesitations, Mahbub-bhai made it easy with his warmth, “You can come now. I am relatively free at this moment.”

Following his advice, I took a rickshaw from the front of the hotel and after 20 minutes of evening rickshaw ride in the crowded Dhaka city, I finally arrived in Karwan Bazar locality, where the office of The Independent was located at that time. Lately the office was shifted to Tejgaon locality.

The lady receptionist smiled at me and she guided me to the editor’s chamber. As I opened the door, I saw a clean-shave gentleman sitting there who turned out to have a series of questions ranging from the black magic of Mayang to lush-green tea gardens of Assam to the insurgent outfits of northeast India.

That was the beginning and we maintained our warm relationship for all these years. Whenever I visited Dhaka, I made it sure that I would have a cup of tea with Mahbub-bhai. Even I used to write articles for his newspaper from Guwahati for some years.

Once more I may visit Dhaka, but my stay in the noisy capital city will never be the same. This time I would miss the soft spoken gentleman there. Good bye my beloved editor and friend in a foreign city. May the Almighty keep your soul in compete rest and peace!

The writer is a Guwahati (northeast India) based journalist