Azadi, first daily of the independent BD steps into 60 years

1951

CHATTOGRAM, Sep 5, 2019 (BSS) – The first newspaper of the independent Bangladesh, the daily Azadi today steps into sixty years of its publication.

The daily which emerged on September 5 in 1960 still bears the testimony of objective, unprejudiced and trusted journalism and becomes widely readable newspaper in this region.

The founder of the daily Azadi engineer Abdul Khaleque, the first Muslim engineer in greater Chattogram founded Kohinur Electric Press in 1932, Kohinur Library in 1938 and later published the daily Azadi, as weekly one.

Subsequently, the weekly has been turned into its publication as daily on this day edited by engineer Khaleque. After the December 16 in 1971, the final victory of the Bengali nation there has been no daily on the victory day during tumultuous days of liberation struggle.

The daily Azadi from Chattogram was lone newspaper which was published on December 17 in 1971 with Banner “Joy Bangla Banglar Joy”.

The Poetry of Language Movement veteran of 1952 Mahbub Ul Alam Chowdhury’s ‘Kadtey Ashini Fashir Dabi Niye Eshechhi ‘ has been published from his Kohinur press with immense courage and dauntless spirit.

The poem’s significance, both literary and historical, is immense as it is the first poem written on the incidents of February 21 and was composed from the Kohinur press and later read out in grand protest rally at Laldigi Maidan.

But after publication of two years the founder of the daily Engineer Khalegue died on September 25 in 1962.

The daily was awarded by the Bangladesh Press Institute for its remarkable contributions in the domain of journalism. After the death of Engineer Khaleque in September 27 in 1962 the then Member of Legislative

Assembly (MLA) and one of the constitution makers of the country Professor Mohammad Khaled took the responsibility of the editorship of the daily.

At present, M A Malek, son of late engineer Abdul Khaleque is now editor of the daily and M Wahed Malek as its managing editor. To mark the anniversary, the daily Azadi authority organized a doa Mahfil at its auditorium seeking blessings from almighty for progress of the daily.