Sylhet Bureau :
AFP journalist Muhammad Ali Majed, a talented journalist from Sylhet, has been recognized with Asia’s most prestigious SOPA (Society of Publishers in Asia) Award for his exceptional role in journalism during the July Uprising.
Along with Majed, six other AFP journalists were honored with this award. Among them are Shafiqul Alam, the current press secretary to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and former AFP bureau chief, photojournalists Muniruzzaman, KM Asad, Parvez Ahmed Rony and Abu Sufian Jewel.
The SOPA judges said that AFP journalists courageously covered the events that changed the country’s situation with speed and accuracy despite the risks and threats.
Journalist Majed hails from Bahor village in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet. His father, the late Abdul Mannan, was a prominent educationist and former headmaster of Piyingul Kalimullah High School.
Majed is currently serving as the member secretary of Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM), an organization of Bangladeshi journalists working in international media.
During the July uprising last year, AFP’s Dhaka bureau provided extensive coverage. From peaceful student protests to violent repression and the subsequent fall of Sheikh Hasina, AFP journalists were the only ones who were on the ground extensively covering all the important events and capturing all the dramatic moments. When there was no internet anywhere in the country for weeks, AFP’s Dhaka office was one of the few places with internet connectivity and from here news was released to the outside world.
