Five late prominent journalists, who worked for BBC Bangla, were remembered with profound respect and affection at a gathering at London Bangla Press Club on October 18.
They were Urmi Rahman, Golam Kader, Kader Mahmud, Golam Murshid, and Shahin Zaman who gained recognition for their work in the BBC Bengali department.
Many of them also played pivotal roles in the publication of weekly journals such as Janomot and Notun Din.
The gathering was marked by emotional tributes from colleagues, who recalled the invaluable contributions these journalists made to the promotion and development of the Bengali language and literature, as well as Bangladeshi culture in the UK. The journalists passed away within a short span of time.
Chaired and moderated by the club’s president general secretary Mohammed Jubair and Taisir Mahmood respectively, guests Muhib Chowdhury, Kamal Ahmed, Danesh Ahmed, Khurram Matin, Nawab Uddin, Zaki Rezwana Anowar, Mustafa Kamal Milon, Shamsul Alam Liton, Mohammad Emdadul Haque Chowdhury, Tarek Chowdhury and Jahedi Carol, among others, shared their memories of the late journalists’ professional lives and personal relationships. Many of them became emotional while remembering these memories.
Their speeches addressed the dedication, camaraderie and deep respect these journalists had for their colleagues and their love for the Bengali language. Many attendees became emotional while sharing personal anecdotes.
Former BBC journalist Kamal Ahmed said the contributions of these five were part of a broader legacy shared with another late colleague Syed Afsar Uddin.
All six played important roles in promoting Bengali language and literature in Britain. Golam Murshid, through his literary works, played a vital role in the expansion of the Bengali language, while Shahin Zaman was noted for his contributions to the arts, he said.
Nawab Uddin, former editor of the weekly Janomot, praised Golam Murshid as a scholar of Bengali literature. While serving as the head of the Bengali department at Malbaria School, Murshid published the Malbaria series, which played an essential role in Bengali education.
The Janomot weekly was responsible for publishing these works, which were written in simple language to narrate the stories of Bengali life.
Moreover, he authored a dictionary in both Bengali and English and wrote a book titled Kaalapanir Haatchani which sparked controversy.
