Inqilab is the Guiding Institute for Tomorrow’s Bangladesh : Editor A.M.M. Bahauddin

Editor A M M Bahauddin described the daily Inqilab as the “guiding institute for tomorrow’s Bangladesh” and said it had already gained social recognition for its role. He made the remarks at a gathering of selected Inqilab journalists from different regions at the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (RDA) in Bogura on Saturday.

During the meeting, Mr. Bahauddin spoke directly with bureau chiefs and district and upazila correspondents about law and order, commodity prices, politics, natural and mineral resources, economic prospects, electricity and energy shortages, and extortion in their respective areas. He also demonstrated how journalists should fact-check information, conduct investigations and present issues effectively. He stressed the need for journalists to remain updated on Bangladesh’s geographical position, natural resources, geopolitics, relations with India and Myanmar, and the country’s maritime resources.

The editor advised senior journalists to maintain their physical and mental well-being and urged younger journalists to develop strong reading habits and improve their research and information-gathering skills. Regarding the ongoing electricity, energy and gas crisis, he urged journalists to remain alert to what he described as a “subtle conspiracy” surrounding the sector.

He said Inqilab had already highlighted the issue effectively and stressed maintaining that continuity. “Inqilab has never compromised on the stability of the country, continuity of democratic governance, independence and sovereignty, and it never will,” he said. He also urged journalists to remain alert to what he described as conspiracies by Israel, India and the United States against the country and the current government.

Mr. Bahauddin said development alone could not ensure a government’s survival, citing the fall of the previous government. Referring to political developments in a neighbouring country, he said that although Narendra Modi had survived the recent movement for the time being, his downfall was inevitable. He said the Roman and Persian empires fell after reaching the peak of their development and urged journalists to highlight what he described as America’s “silent defeat” against Iran.

He stressed that the government should give the highest priority to improving law and order and controlling commodity prices. “You have to write and speak about these issues,” he told the journalists. He also called for an end to the practice of portraying the government and ruling party negatively without proper assessment. “Instead of becoming sycophants, pointing out the government’s mistakes and lack of foresight as a friend should be the standard of contemporary journalism,” he said.

During the gathering, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Majid, director general of the Bogura RDA and a rural development researcher, met Mr. Bahauddin and introduced himself to the journalists. He said he was a regular reader of Inqilab and expressed hope that the newspaper would further strengthen its constructive role.