Not only a Press Club but a symbol of our national struggle

In 1971 during our War of Liberation the Pakistani invaders marked this building of Press Club as their target because they knew all journalists of different shades and opinions of Bangladesh had made this place a centre for their united efforts to support the War of Independence

Our National Press Club in Dhaka has reached a ripe age of 62. I heard that the journalists of our country, especially the present Press Club authority is going to celebrate its founding day by publishing a memoir very soon. I am proud that I had witnessed the birth of this club and was once very close to this great institution. I have visited more attractive Press Clubs in different countries in Kolkata, London, Sydney and other countries. But I do not think those clubs have a glorious past like our National Press Club. 

Press Club generally means a place for the journalists to meet or relax and keep themselves engaged in journalistic activities. But the National Press Club in Dhaka, which was first born as Dhaka Press Club was not merely a place for meeting for the journalists. It gradually became a central place for journalists in Bangladesh from where they fought for press freedom and then got involved in the struggle for national emancipation also. 
In a midnight attack they shelled this building and destroyed a section of it. Our late eminent journalist Faiz Ahmed took shelter in this building that night. He was facing a sure death, but luck favoured him. He escaped death but was seriously wounded and rescued from the building. 
On the first or second night of the attack in Dhaka the Pakistani invaders tried to destroy two institutions which are the pride of our national life at a time -one was the Language monument of 52 and another was our National Press Club, which was known as the Dhaka Press Club at that time. On that night they not only killed the intellectuals, but tried to kill two institutions-Shaheed Minar and Press Club which still stand as symbols of our cultural and political emancipation. After independence Dhaka Press Club became the National Press Club. It is still not only a meeting place for our journalists but a place for exchanging views for our intellectuals also. 
Press Club was established in 1954 when I was a young journalist in Dhaka. After Independence the old building of the Press Club which had a historical importance was demolished and rebuilt in its present form. In the early part of the last century when the-then Bengal Province was divided under the British rule, Dhaka was made the capital of the newly formed province of East Bengal and Assam. For administrative purposes a number of buildings- residential and others were built in the vast Ramna Green. This building in Topkhana was built at that time. But in the face of the anti-Bengal divide movement the division was repealed and instead The University of Dhaka was established to satisfy the Muslim people of East Bengal. These newly built buildings were allocated to the Professors of the newly built 
university. 
Again Bengal Province was divided in 1947 and Dhaka became the capital of East Pakistan. For administrative purposes government requisitioned these buildings and ministers were allocated most of the buildings as their residence. When Hamidul Huq Choudhury became the Finance Minister of the first Muslim League Government of East Pakistan this building was his official residence. 
In 1950 I came to Dhaka from Barisal to study in Dhaka College. At that time the old building of Dhaka Press Club was the residence of Mr. Afzal Mukhtiar, another minister of the Provincial government and a nephew of Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Huq. Then this building remained vacant for some time in the latter part of 1953. Some leading journalists of Dhaka like Khairul Kabir, Johur Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Nuruddin, Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Mujibur Rahman Khan and many others took the initiative to establish the Press Club for Dhaka journalists as their meeting place and recreation. In 1954 the-then provincial government allocated this building for housing the Dhaka Press Club. Mujibur Rahman Khan, the-then joint editor of the Daily Azad became its first President and Johur Hossain Chowdhury, the joint-editor of Daily Sangbad became its first secretary. Almost all the journalists and editors joined this club and many of them became its executives afterwards. 
My knowledge and experience of the press Clubs of other countries is very limited. But so far I know the National Press Club of Bangladesh has an unparalleled glorious history. Its members, irrespective of their political allegiance participated in each and every national struggle and suffered unitedly. For press freedom they fought bravely in the Martial Regime of Pakistan and after liberation against the military rulers. During the Pakistan period, Abdul Monem Khan, the-then governor of East Pakistan and a stooge of the military ruler of Pakistan, Ayub Khan, was never allowed to enter the premises of the Press Club. The journalists unanimously resisted him and did not succumb to his threats or temptations. 
When President Ayub promulgated Press and Publication Ordinance to curb the freedom of press, the journalists of East Pakistan were the first to revolt. A huge meeting was held in the premises of Dhaka Press Club under the President ship of Maulana Akram Khan, the father-figure of Bengali journalism to protest against Ayub's ordinance and a mile long procession marched on the street of Dhaka headed by Maulana Akram Khan, Toffazzal Hossain Manik Miah, Abdus Salam, Johur Hossain Chowdhury and other prominent editors. No other Press Club in the-then Pakistan had the courage to resist Ayub's black law at the first stage. In the face of this movement Ayub had to amend his ordinance and establish a court of honour to satisfy the demands of the journalists.
In 1964 the military junta of Pakistan conspired to initiate a communal riot in East Pakistan to resist the growing movement for full Provincial autonomy. To counter this communal riot again all journalists formed a strong unity and called a meeting in the press club. Almost all the prominent political leaders joined this meeting including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hamidul Huq Chowdhury, Syed Azizul Huq, even Golam Azam of Jamaat-e-Islami and formulated a policy to resist the riot. A leaflet was written by three journalist members of the Press Club, under the caption East Bengal resists the miscreants. All the politicians and among major editors Toffazzal Hossain Manik Miah, Abdus Salam, Johur Hossain Chowdhury and others signed this leaflet. For distributing this leaflet Monem Government accused all the signatories and instituted a case against them. It was known as the historic Leaflet case. But the conspiracy of the-then government did not succeed. The riot was resisted and stopped immediately.
After the independence the founding father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, visited this Press Club as the Prime Minister of a newly independent country and assured the journalists that their rights and privileges would not be curbed but protected. He embraced the oldest employee of the Press Club Umid Khan and took pictures with other employees Khaleq and Dulal and Dhaka Press Club was declared as the National Press Club of the country.  I feel proud that I was associated with this club from its very foundation day. I still remember Abdul Quddus, a young man, who was associated with the running of the Press Club for a long time and was always eager to greet us whenever we went to the Club house and rushed to entertain us with tea and snacks. 
The old buildings were lovely with big green lawns surrounding them, but after Independence it was demolished and the present building was constructed. 
With the growth and development of journalism in my country this national institute needs more development and extension. I heard that the present Hasina government is going to rebuild this house as the most modern Press Club with all modern amenities and facilities. Unfortunately, our journalist community even the intellectuals are not united like the past. My only hope is that they will be united again and this building will symbolize the unhindered freedom of expression and opinion in the country and will remain a stronghold for our democratic future.

London, Friday 23 September 2016

Not only a Press Club but a symbol of our national struggle

In 1971 during our War of Liberation the Pakistani invaders marked this building of Press Club as their target because they knew all journalists of different shades and opinions of Bangladesh had made this place a centre for their united efforts to support the War of Independence

Our National Press Club in Dhaka has reached a ripe age of 62. I heard that the journalists of our country, especially the present Press Club authority is going to celebrate its founding day by publishing a memoir very soon. I am proud that I had witnessed the birth of this club and was once very close to this great institution. I have visited more attractive Press Clubs in different countries in Kolkata, London, Sydney and other countries. But I do not think those clubs have a glorious past like our National Press Club. Press Club generally means a place for the journalists to meet or relax and keep themselves engaged in journalistic activities. But the National Press Club in Dhaka, which was first born as Dhaka Press Club was not merely a place for meeting for the journalists. It gradually became a central place for journalists in Bangladesh from where they fought for press freedom and then got involved in the struggle for national emancipation also. In a midnight attack they shelled this building and destroyed a section of it. Our late eminent journalist Faiz Ahmed took shelter in this building that night. He was facing a sure death, but luck favoured him. He escaped death but was seriously wounded and rescued from the building. On the first or second night of the attack in Dhaka the Pakistani invaders tried to destroy two institutions which are the pride of our national life at a time -one was the Language monument of 52 and another was our National Press Club, which was known as the Dhaka Press Club at that time. On that night they not only killed the intellectuals, but tried to kill two institutions-Shaheed Minar and Press Club which still stand as symbols of our cultural and political emancipation. After independence Dhaka Press Club became the National Press Club. It is still not only a meeting place for our journalists but a place for exchanging views for our intellectuals also. Press Club was established in 1954 when I was a young journalist in Dhaka. After Independence the old building of the Press Club which had a historical importance was demolished and rebuilt in its present form. In the early part of the last century when the-then Bengal Province was divided under the British rule, Dhaka was made the capital of the newly formed province of East Bengal and Assam. For administrative purposes a number of buildings- residential and others were built in the vast Ramna Green. This building in Topkhana was built at that time. But in the face of the anti-Bengal divide movement the division was repealed and instead The University of Dhaka was established to satisfy the Muslim people of East Bengal. These newly built buildings were allocated to the Professors of the newly built university. Again Bengal Province was divided in 1947 and Dhaka became the capital of East Pakistan. For administrative purposes government requisitioned these buildings and ministers were allocated most of the buildings as their residence. When Hamidul Huq Choudhury became the Finance Minister of the first Muslim League Government of East Pakistan this building was his official residence. In 1950 I came to Dhaka from Barisal to study in Dhaka College. At that time the old building of Dhaka Press Club was the residence of Mr. Afzal Mukhtiar, another minister of the Provincial government and a nephew of Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Huq. Then this building remained vacant for some time in the latter part of 1953. Some leading journalists of Dhaka like Khairul Kabir, Johur Hossain Chowdhury, Syed Nuruddin, Abul Kalam Shamsuddin, Mujibur Rahman Khan and many others took the initiative to establish the Press Club for Dhaka journalists as their meeting place and recreation. In 1954 the-then provincial government allocated this building for housing the Dhaka Press Club. Mujibur Rahman Khan, the-then joint editor of the Daily Azad became its first President and Johur Hossain Chowdhury, the joint-editor of Daily Sangbad became its first secretary. Almost all the journalists and editors joined this club and many of them became its executives afterwards. My knowledge and experience of the press Clubs of other countries is very limited. But so far I know the National Press Club of Bangladesh has an unparalleled glorious history. Its members, irrespective of their political allegiance participated in each and every national struggle and suffered unitedly. For press freedom they fought bravely in the Martial Regime of Pakistan and after liberation against the military rulers. During the Pakistan period, Abdul Monem Khan, the-then governor of East Pakistan and a stooge of the military ruler of Pakistan, Ayub Khan, was never allowed to enter the premises of the Press Club. The journalists unanimously resisted him and did not succumb to his threats or temptations. When President Ayub promulgated Press and Publication Ordinance to curb the freedom of press, the journalists of East Pakistan were the first to revolt. A huge meeting was held in the premises of Dhaka Press Club under the President ship of Maulana Akram Khan, the father-figure of Bengali journalism to protest against Ayubs ordinance and a mile long procession marched on the street of Dhaka headed by Maulana Akram Khan, Toffazzal Hossain Manik Miah, Abdus Salam, Johur Hossain Chowdhury and other prominent editors. No other Press Club in the-then Pakistan had the courage to resist Ayubs black law at the first stage. In the face of this movement Ayub had to amend his ordinance and establish a court of honour to satisfy the demands of the journalists. In 1964 the military junta of Pakistan conspired to initiate a communal riot in East Pakistan to resist the growing movement for full Provincial autonomy. To counter this communal riot again all journalists formed a strong unity and called a meeting in the press club. Almost all the prominent political leaders joined this meeting including Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hamidul Huq Chowdhury, Syed Azizul Huq, even Golam Azam of Jamaat-e-Islami and formulated a policy to resist the riot. A leaflet was written by three journalist members of the Press Club, under the caption East Bengal resists the miscreants. All the politicians and among major editors Toffazzal Hossain Manik Miah, Abdus Salam, Johur Hossain Chowdhury and others signed this leaflet. For distributing this leaflet Monem Government accused all the signatories and instituted a case against them. It was known as the historic Leaflet case. But the conspiracy of the-then government did not succeed. The riot was resisted and stopped immediately. After the independence the founding father of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, visited this Press Club as the Prime Minister of a newly independent country and assured the journalists that their rights and privileges would not be curbed but protected. He embraced the oldest employee of the Press Club Umid Khan and took pictures with other employees Khaleq and Dulal and Dhaka Press Club was declared as the National Press Club of the country. I feel proud that I was associated with this club from its very foundation day. I still remember Abdul Quddus, a young man, who was associated with the running of the Press Club for a long time and was always eager to greet us whenever we went to the Club house and rushed to entertain us with tea and snacks. The old buildings were lovely with big green lawns surrounding them, but after Independence it was demolished and the present building was constructed. With the growth and development of journalism in my country this national institute needs more development and extension. I heard that the present Hasina government is going to rebuild this house as the most modern Press Club with all modern amenities and facilities. Unfortunately, our journalist community even the intellectuals are not united like the past. My only hope is that they will be united again and this building will symbolize the unhindered freedom of expression and opinion in the country and will remain a stronghold for our democratic future. London, Friday 23 September 2016