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Matiur Rahman
Rahman in 2018
Born (1946-01-02) 2 January 1946 (age 78)
Kolkata, Bengal Presidency, British India
Alma materUniversity of Dhaka
Occupation(s)Journalist, editor
Years activeSince 1970
SpouseMaleka Begum
AwardsRamon Magsaysay Award

Matiur Rahman (Bengali: মতিউর রহমান; born 2 January 1946)[1] is the editor of Prothom Alo, the largest circulated Bengali language daily in Bangladesh. He is the recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award in the journalism, literature and creative communication arts category.[2][3][4]

Early life

Rahman was born 2 January 1946 in Calcutta to Mohammed Fazlur Rahman, a lawyer, and Lutfunessa Begum.[2] For his secondary education, he attended Nawabpur Government High School and then Dhaka College. For his higher education, he attended the University of Dhaka and earned his master's degree in statistics in 1967. While a student, he became a Marxist and was a student leader in East Pakistan Student Union. Later, he was secretly a member of Communist Party of Bangladesh while it was still outlawed.

Career

ORahman entered journalism in 1970 when he became the editor of Ekota, a socialist weekly. For five years during the 1970s, he also published the Bangladesh edition of the journal World Marxist Review. He left that position after 21 years and after the fall of the East Bloc.[4] After he left Ekota, he worked as a journalist for newspaper Ajker Kagoj. In February 1992, he partnered with others to found Bhorer Kagoj, which he edited for the next six years. After Saber Hossain Chowdhury joined the cabinet of the Awami League government, Rahman felt pressured to shape the newspaper's stance in accordance with the ruling party and this led to his resignation.[2] In 1998, he founded Prothom Alo, a daily newspaper.[4]

On 12 February 2013, Rahman was wounded from broken glass while in his car when Jamaat-Shibir workers were rioting and vandalising cars.[5][6]

He was elected president of the Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh in June 2014.[7] In March 2023, Matiur Rahman was sued under the controversial Digital Security Act. Reporter Samsuzzaman Shams, an ‘assistant cameraman’ and unnamed others were also made accused in the case.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Daily Star honours 25 scholars, nation builders". The Daily Star. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Matiur Rahman" (PDF). Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Citation for Matiur Rahman". Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b c "Bangladesh through Matiur Rahman of Prothom Alo's eyes". AdGully. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  5. ^ "Prothom Alo's editor Motiur Rahman wounded". Daily Ittefaq. 13 February 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Jamaat-Shibir men clash with cops". The New Nation. 13 February 2013. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  7. ^ "Noab gets new committee". The Daily Star. 11 June 2014.
  8. ^ Staff Correspondent (30 March 2023). "Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman sued under Digital Security Act". Prothomalo. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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