Today marks the 55th death anniversary of legendary journalist Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia.
He died of a sudden heart attack on this day in 1969 at the age of 58 while on a professional tour to Rawalpindi, then West Pakistan.
He is a bright star in the world of journalism.
His achievements turned out to be a source inspiration to the country for decades and centuries.
He was a fearless, greedless, uncompromising journalist.
He did not take journalism as a livelihood or a profession, but as a unique opportunity to serve the masses.
That is why we see that the offer of ministry in the United Front government did not attract him.
Neither the tyranny nor the temptation of the dictator could shake him from the pen war he was waging for democracy and the rights of the people of this land.
Manik Mia and his Ittefaq were literally engaged in a relentless pen-war to form public opinion, in favour of the long mass struggle during the Pakistan period, led by great leaders like Maulana Bhasani, Sher-e-Bangla A.K. Fazlul Huq, Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for the establishment of democracy and the realization of the just rights of the people.
The great national leader Suhrawardy, who is often called the son of democracy, drew him (Manik Mia) from a remote area like Pirojpur to Calcutta in the then British India, where he served as the office secretary of the Provincial Muslim League (1945) and later as the secretary of the board of directors of the daily Ittehad edited by Abul Mansur Ahmed (1946-48).
His hand in politics and journalism in the company of people like Suhrawardy and Abul Mansur Ahmed laid the foundation for the important role he played in motivating politics from the position of a journalist.
Clearly, the role of fearless and self-sacrificing pen soldiers like Manik Miah was no less important than the political leadership in shaping public opinion for the independence of this country
The country became independent, although Manik Miah did not have the good fortune to see it.
How much of the dream, to which the great personalities like Manik Miah devoted to their entire lives, have been achieved? The country today has a huge collection of newspapers and electronic media, but how far do we pass with the standard of fearless, uncompromising, people-oriented journalism that Manik Mia has left for us as an example by sniffing out imprisonment, oppression, and temptation?
