The Daily Observer has conjured up an image of a respected and reputed newspaper over the past 12 years since its inception in 2011 in the country's newspaper industry for its incisive, candid and fearless news, features and analytical write-ups. All this has made the daily an essential tool for many readers interested in in-depth business news, analysis, movie reviews, literary and sports articles and so on.
On the auspicious occasion of its 12th founding anniversary, I, as an avid reader, writer and contributor to the newspaper wish it the best of luck and the resounding success in years to come.
Since I have been a correspondent at large for the newspaper writing on and off for the last five years on the current critical issues ranging from political, economics to environmental and regional events, I have some personal views and opinions about the daily. I have found this news outlet quite evenhanded and non-partisan accommodating news and views from all sections of people irrespective of their religious and political affiliations and involvements.
My personal experience and feeling is something awesome and inspiring. Sometimes I have submitted some very critical and controversial write-ups with the impression that those would not be considered for publication given the current political scenario. But I was proved wrong and surprised when those articles appeared on the daily without any hesitation and even without asking me any questions as well.
The Daily Observer has been intrepid in publishing many investigative stories ruffling the feathers of some influential and powerful people and politicians alike. For instance, chasing the truth, the daily carried a piece of news item entitled "Police await PM's order to crack down on drug lords" in January 2017 with a mention of some names of several sitting parliamentarians from the ruling party as being involved in illegal drug trade.
That report generated much heat at that time and took to the parliament where Awami League lawmakers whose names were mentioned in that report, accused the Daily Observer Editor of smearing their reputation.
This kind of reporting was only possible because of the bold Editor of the newspaper.
During my stay aboard for over 25 years I used to read the Bangladeshi newspapers and watch the television talk shows to stay informed about our country. With the mushroom growth of TV channels, many of the talk shows have become awash with inane chats. But some are mesmerizing and thought-provoking when speakers like Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury presented their views without any resentment and attack on their opponents indecently. Their arguments, comments and views are really worthy to the viewers.
Iqbal Sobhan is not only a veteran journalist. He is also a respected journalist leader. He is an exponent of press freedom with the belief that free press is sacrosanct. He continues to raise voice against harassments, tortures and arrests of journalists apart from advocating human rights, democracy, communal harmony and the rule of law in the country. He has not swerved a hair's breadth from his demand for the arrest of the killers of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi as the then President of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists.
Under the stewardship of such an intrepid figure, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, whose journalism career began with the birth of Bangladesh in 1971, the Daily Observer with a team of efficient and bold journalists would surely be destined to position itself as one of the leading English newspapers and an indispensable truth-seeking media outlet in the coming years.
The writer is a senior journalist and a commentator
