Remembering Enayetullah Khan
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Md. Shaheduzzaman
MY father used to subscribe the then Pakistan Observer, later The Bangladesh Observer, the weekly Holiday and the Reader's Digest. It was on his insistence that I started reading newspapers in my school days. By the time I was in the 9th grade, I developed a passion for the weekly Holiday. Most of the words used by the Holiday Editor Mr Enayetullah in his write-ups were unfamiliar to me. I used to spend much of the week looking up the dictionary for the unknown words to comprehend his write-ups. I used to read his articles again and again. I felt an urge to enrich my vocabulary to match Mr. Enayetullah Khan's. I am yet to archive that. Later I cherished to meet Mr. Enayetullah Khan some day and pursue a career in journalism.
In 1972, I got an opportunity to work as an apprentice Sub-Editor of Bangla daily Dainik Bangladesh published from Bogra. I had to translate national and international news, received from news agencies, from English to Bangla. I also worked as an apprentice Staff Reporter of the daily later. In 1975, I was appointed as campus reporter of the Rajshahi University of The Bangladesh Times. Enayetullah Khan was then its Editor. Later, I was appointed a staff reporter of the daily.
I resigned from The Bangladesh Times in 1982. There ended my career as a journalist. I became a business executive. It was my nephew, Riad Hassan, who phoned me immediately after listening to the BBC radio's evening news on November 10, 2005 to inform me that the weekly Holiday Editor-in-Chief and the daily New Age Editor Enayetullah Khan had died. Riad, who had just completed his MBA from the Dhaka University had an admiration for Enayetullah Khan. He was aware of my great admiration for Mr. Enayetullah Khan.
I hardly missed the opportunity to read Mr. Enayetullah Khan's articles. From the press reports, I knew that Enayetullah Khan had been under treatment in Canada. But, as he used to send articles from his sick-bed in Canada for his newspapers in Dhaka, I was under the impression that he was recovering, slowly but steadily, and would soon return to Dhaka fully cured. So, the news of his death came to me as a bolt from the blue. I was deeply saddened. I lamented, "Why, great people don't live at least a century! The titan has left when the country needed him the most." I told Riad: "I am going to buy all the leading national dailies tomorrow to know the comments of the people who used to admire Mr. Enayetullah Khan and also of those who were his critics." On the following day, I did buy the copies of newspapers and was overwhelmed to read the instantaneous reaction of The Daily Star Editor, Mr. Mahfuz Anam, who apparently had political and ideological differences with Mr. Enayetullh Khan. Mr. Anam praised Mr. Enayetullah Khan as an 'icon' of journalism and commented, "He was by far the best among us."
I recall having read a foreign journal in the mid 1970s, which described had Mr. Enyaetullah Khan as "One of the best political writers in South-Asia." I do not remember the name of the journal. But Mr Enayetullah Khan was indeed one of the best journalists in South-Asia in his time.
For last few days, I was having an ever-increasing urge to write about the late Enayetullah Khan. But being aware of his professional and human qualities, I was in a dilemma on what to write about a great son of the soil whose multi-dimensional talents gave him success in every career he had pursued.
Enayetullah Khan was committed to objective journalism. He was a journalist with extraordinary courage and honesty. He did not hesitate to write the naked truth. He was a trend-setter in English journalism in this country. Writing was his passion, not a mere profession. He could produce a master-piece almost in no time. He became an idol for his critical writings.
Out and out a patriot, he was a broad minded and magnanimous person. He loved his country and the people. He never compromised with secular democratic principles. He was bold against and other religious bigotry in politics.
I met Enayetullah Khan in several diplomatic parties in Dhaka. He was always the centre of attraction in all parties and social gatherings. The host and the invitees were equally keen to hear him on national and international issues. His knowledge and way of speaking were simply impressive. He had a charming personality.
After his death, there was no dearth of respect and love for him. He earned and deserved it. Everyone praised him irrespective of opinions. He will live in the hearts of his readers, associates and admirers. I pray that the Holiday and the New Age, founded by him, survive for ever to keep his memory alive. He made immense contributions to journalism. I am optimistic that the journalists in the country would continue to uphold freedom of press and expression as Enayetullah did all his life.
Three years ago in October Mr. Enayetullah Khan passed away. I feel it a privilege to pay my tributes to the late Mr. Enayetullah Khan, as he was popularly known.
In 1976, about a week before the historic 'Farakka Long March', I as the Rajshahi University Correspondent of The Bangladesh Times and President of the Rajshahi University journalists' Association, had phoned Mintu Bhai, then Editor of The Bangladesh Times at his office in Dhaka. I wanted to know whether he would come to Rajshahi on the occasion of the Farakka March. He sounded very excited and enthusiastic. He told me he would arrive at Rajshahi at least a couple of days before the long march would start.
Mintu Bhai, accompanied by Mr. Anwar Hossain Monju, Editor of the daily "Ittefaq," arrived at the Rajshahi Circuit House in the afternoon of the appointed day. I, together with The Bangladesh Times Rajshahi Correspondent Mr. Anjum Ferdaus, received Mintu Bhai at the Circuit House. He was in his traditional Khaddar Punjabi and jeans trousers. He was all sweat and his panjabi was completely met. He had had driven all the way from Dhaka to Rajshahi. But he was so excited and enthusiastic that, to my surprise, without taking any food or rest after such a long drive, Mintu Bhai told us, "Now I would like to meet Maulana Shaheb as he called Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and then the marchers, who had gathered in the city to take part in the historic Farakka Long March. I want you to lead me."
I and Anjum Ferdous drove to the residence of a lawyer, I do not remember him name, in a jeep used by The Bangladesh Times team to cover the Farakka March. Mintu Bhai and Anwar Hossin Monju, followed us in his car. After meeting Maulana Bhashani we visited each and every place where the enthusiastic marchers from all over the country had gathered. No less excited and enthusiastic Mintu Bhai spoke to the marchers.
At night, when we all returned to the Circuit House, Mintu Bhai sounded even more excited and enthusiastic about the long march scheduled to start after in days following a public meeting at the Rajshahi Madrasa Maidan to be addressed by Maulana Bhashani. Mintu Bhai was bubbling with patriotism.
In the meanwhile, The Bangladesh Times team from Dhaka, comprising Special Correspondent the late Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Assistant Editor Mustafa Jasim Ahmed and Senior Staff Photographer Rafiqur Rahman, arrived at Rajshahi to cover the long march. The Bangladesh Times had sent the biggest team among the local and foreign media, to cover the Farakka march. Obviously, Mintu Bhai, as the Times Editor, attached importance to the coverage of Farakka march to protest India's unilateral withdrawal of water, from the international river, the Ganges.
As planned by Mintu Bhai, the team from Dhaka left Rajshahi city early next morning for the Bangladesh- India border points. They returned to the city in the afternoon Mintu Bhai asked them to write what they saw and send it telegraphically to the Times office in Dhaka with a note that "The Editor has okayed this."
The following day's issue of The Bangladesh Times carried on the front page an exclusive news item under the heading, "India amasses troops along border." Other dailies in Dhaka was taken by surprise by the scoop.
Mintu Bhai had strong fellow feelings for the entire journalist community. When he came to know that Dainik Bangla staffers, who had arrived from Dhaka to cover the long march, Mintu Bhai asked me to share the jeep with them.
On the day of the Farakka march, Maulana Bhashani addressed a mammoth public meeting at the Rajshahi Madrasa maidan prior to leading the long march. Sensing that the marchers could even cross the border to reach the "Farakka Barrage" itself, in the Indian territory, Maulana Bhashani his address, made it absolutely clear that the protest march would end well within the Bangladesh territory. He warned the marchers against crossing the international boundary.
Mintu Bhai and the Times team returned to Rajshahi Circuit House in the evening to write the despatches. After tea, Mintu Bhai sent me to Mr Atiqul Alam of BBC for his typewriter. After completing his report Nr Alam gave his typewriter with a request to come back to him before going go to the telegram office for story filing.
Mintu Bhai himself wrote a write-up for Bangladesh Times.
In the afternoon of the next day I bought from the newspaper agent in the city several copies of the Times. as requested by Mintu Bhai. I gave a copy of the paper to Mintu Bhai, who had been anxiously waiting for it. While going through his write-up, Mintu Bhai was annoyed to see words in his write-up were changed. The Bangladesh Times news desk in Dhaka apparently chose the words it could not understand because of telegraphic errors. What amazed me was that Mintu Bhai remembered every word he had used in his write-up.
Mintu Bhai's write-up took covered almost 75 per cent space of both the front and the back pages of the Times. The depth of his knowledge and his ability to comment were amazing too.
Mintu Bhai has finally taken holiday, as if he had to prove, "The Holiday. Because life isn't," as it appears on the front page of Holiday each week. He never had a holiday. He wrote each week even from his sick-bed in Canada.
Mintu Bhai, writing about you has been a great honour for me. May you get eternal peace.
A former correspondent of now defunct The Bangladesh Times, the writer is general manager IRAM Motor Co. Ltd, Dhaka. He can be reached at
e-mail: imclbd@bol-online.com
MY father used to subscribe the then Pakistan Observer, later The Bangladesh Observer, the weekly Holiday and the Reader's Digest. It was on his insistence that I started reading newspapers in my school days. By the time I was in the 9th grade, I developed a passion for the weekly Holiday. Most of the words used by the Holiday Editor Mr Enayetullah in his write-ups were unfamiliar to me. I used to spend much of the week looking up the dictionary for the unknown words to comprehend his write-ups. I used to read his articles again and again. I felt an urge to enrich my vocabulary to match Mr. Enayetullah Khan's. I am yet to archive that. Later I cherished to meet Mr. Enayetullah Khan some day and pursue a career in journalism.
In 1972, I got an opportunity to work as an apprentice Sub-Editor of Bangla daily Dainik Bangladesh published from Bogra. I had to translate national and international news, received from news agencies, from English to Bangla. I also worked as an apprentice Staff Reporter of the daily later. In 1975, I was appointed as campus reporter of the Rajshahi University of The Bangladesh Times. Enayetullah Khan was then its Editor. Later, I was appointed a staff reporter of the daily.
I resigned from The Bangladesh Times in 1982. There ended my career as a journalist. I became a business executive. It was my nephew, Riad Hassan, who phoned me immediately after listening to the BBC radio's evening news on November 10, 2005 to inform me that the weekly Holiday Editor-in-Chief and the daily New Age Editor Enayetullah Khan had died. Riad, who had just completed his MBA from the Dhaka University had an admiration for Enayetullah Khan. He was aware of my great admiration for Mr. Enayetullah Khan.
I hardly missed the opportunity to read Mr. Enayetullah Khan's articles. From the press reports, I knew that Enayetullah Khan had been under treatment in Canada. But, as he used to send articles from his sick-bed in Canada for his newspapers in Dhaka, I was under the impression that he was recovering, slowly but steadily, and would soon return to Dhaka fully cured. So, the news of his death came to me as a bolt from the blue. I was deeply saddened. I lamented, "Why, great people don't live at least a century! The titan has left when the country needed him the most." I told Riad: "I am going to buy all the leading national dailies tomorrow to know the comments of the people who used to admire Mr. Enayetullah Khan and also of those who were his critics." On the following day, I did buy the copies of newspapers and was overwhelmed to read the instantaneous reaction of The Daily Star Editor, Mr. Mahfuz Anam, who apparently had political and ideological differences with Mr. Enayetullh Khan. Mr. Anam praised Mr. Enayetullah Khan as an 'icon' of journalism and commented, "He was by far the best among us."
I recall having read a foreign journal in the mid 1970s, which described had Mr. Enyaetullah Khan as "One of the best political writers in South-Asia." I do not remember the name of the journal. But Mr Enayetullah Khan was indeed one of the best journalists in South-Asia in his time.
For last few days, I was having an ever-increasing urge to write about the late Enayetullah Khan. But being aware of his professional and human qualities, I was in a dilemma on what to write about a great son of the soil whose multi-dimensional talents gave him success in every career he had pursued.
Enayetullah Khan was committed to objective journalism. He was a journalist with extraordinary courage and honesty. He did not hesitate to write the naked truth. He was a trend-setter in English journalism in this country. Writing was his passion, not a mere profession. He could produce a master-piece almost in no time. He became an idol for his critical writings.
Out and out a patriot, he was a broad minded and magnanimous person. He loved his country and the people. He never compromised with secular democratic principles. He was bold against and other religious bigotry in politics.
I met Enayetullah Khan in several diplomatic parties in Dhaka. He was always the centre of attraction in all parties and social gatherings. The host and the invitees were equally keen to hear him on national and international issues. His knowledge and way of speaking were simply impressive. He had a charming personality.
After his death, there was no dearth of respect and love for him. He earned and deserved it. Everyone praised him irrespective of opinions. He will live in the hearts of his readers, associates and admirers. I pray that the Holiday and the New Age, founded by him, survive for ever to keep his memory alive. He made immense contributions to journalism. I am optimistic that the journalists in the country would continue to uphold freedom of press and expression as Enayetullah did all his life.
Three years ago in October Mr. Enayetullah Khan passed away. I feel it a privilege to pay my tributes to the late Mr. Enayetullah Khan, as he was popularly known.
In 1976, about a week before the historic 'Farakka Long March', I as the Rajshahi University Correspondent of The Bangladesh Times and President of the Rajshahi University journalists' Association, had phoned Mintu Bhai, then Editor of The Bangladesh Times at his office in Dhaka. I wanted to know whether he would come to Rajshahi on the occasion of the Farakka March. He sounded very excited and enthusiastic. He told me he would arrive at Rajshahi at least a couple of days before the long march would start.
Mintu Bhai, accompanied by Mr. Anwar Hossain Monju, Editor of the daily "Ittefaq," arrived at the Rajshahi Circuit House in the afternoon of the appointed day. I, together with The Bangladesh Times Rajshahi Correspondent Mr. Anjum Ferdaus, received Mintu Bhai at the Circuit House. He was in his traditional Khaddar Punjabi and jeans trousers. He was all sweat and his panjabi was completely met. He had had driven all the way from Dhaka to Rajshahi. But he was so excited and enthusiastic that, to my surprise, without taking any food or rest after such a long drive, Mintu Bhai told us, "Now I would like to meet Maulana Shaheb as he called Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and then the marchers, who had gathered in the city to take part in the historic Farakka Long March. I want you to lead me."
I and Anjum Ferdous drove to the residence of a lawyer, I do not remember him name, in a jeep used by The Bangladesh Times team to cover the Farakka March. Mintu Bhai and Anwar Hossin Monju, followed us in his car. After meeting Maulana Bhashani we visited each and every place where the enthusiastic marchers from all over the country had gathered. No less excited and enthusiastic Mintu Bhai spoke to the marchers.
At night, when we all returned to the Circuit House, Mintu Bhai sounded even more excited and enthusiastic about the long march scheduled to start after in days following a public meeting at the Rajshahi Madrasa Maidan to be addressed by Maulana Bhashani. Mintu Bhai was bubbling with patriotism.
In the meanwhile, The Bangladesh Times team from Dhaka, comprising Special Correspondent the late Amin Ahmed Chowdhury, Assistant Editor Mustafa Jasim Ahmed and Senior Staff Photographer Rafiqur Rahman, arrived at Rajshahi to cover the long march. The Bangladesh Times had sent the biggest team among the local and foreign media, to cover the Farakka march. Obviously, Mintu Bhai, as the Times Editor, attached importance to the coverage of Farakka march to protest India's unilateral withdrawal of water, from the international river, the Ganges.
As planned by Mintu Bhai, the team from Dhaka left Rajshahi city early next morning for the Bangladesh- India border points. They returned to the city in the afternoon Mintu Bhai asked them to write what they saw and send it telegraphically to the Times office in Dhaka with a note that "The Editor has okayed this."
The following day's issue of The Bangladesh Times carried on the front page an exclusive news item under the heading, "India amasses troops along border." Other dailies in Dhaka was taken by surprise by the scoop.
Mintu Bhai had strong fellow feelings for the entire journalist community. When he came to know that Dainik Bangla staffers, who had arrived from Dhaka to cover the long march, Mintu Bhai asked me to share the jeep with them.
On the day of the Farakka march, Maulana Bhashani addressed a mammoth public meeting at the Rajshahi Madrasa maidan prior to leading the long march. Sensing that the marchers could even cross the border to reach the "Farakka Barrage" itself, in the Indian territory, Maulana Bhashani his address, made it absolutely clear that the protest march would end well within the Bangladesh territory. He warned the marchers against crossing the international boundary.
Mintu Bhai and the Times team returned to Rajshahi Circuit House in the evening to write the despatches. After tea, Mintu Bhai sent me to Mr Atiqul Alam of BBC for his typewriter. After completing his report Nr Alam gave his typewriter with a request to come back to him before going go to the telegram office for story filing.
Mintu Bhai himself wrote a write-up for Bangladesh Times.
In the afternoon of the next day I bought from the newspaper agent in the city several copies of the Times. as requested by Mintu Bhai. I gave a copy of the paper to Mintu Bhai, who had been anxiously waiting for it. While going through his write-up, Mintu Bhai was annoyed to see words in his write-up were changed. The Bangladesh Times news desk in Dhaka apparently chose the words it could not understand because of telegraphic errors. What amazed me was that Mintu Bhai remembered every word he had used in his write-up.
Mintu Bhai's write-up took covered almost 75 per cent space of both the front and the back pages of the Times. The depth of his knowledge and his ability to comment were amazing too.
Mintu Bhai has finally taken holiday, as if he had to prove, "The Holiday. Because life isn't," as it appears on the front page of Holiday each week. He never had a holiday. He wrote each week even from his sick-bed in Canada.
Mintu Bhai, writing about you has been a great honour for me. May you get eternal peace.
A former correspondent of now defunct The Bangladesh Times, the writer is general manager IRAM Motor Co. Ltd, Dhaka. He can be reached at
e-mail: imclbd@bol-online.com