Forum (Bangladesh)
Encyclopedia
Forum is a Bangladesh
i English language monthly current affairs
magazine. Founded in 1969 in the then East Pakistan
(present day Bangladesh) by human rights activist Hameeda Hossain and economist Rehman Sobhan
, the magazine became renowned for its outspoken content advocating democracy
and Bengali
rights in Pakistan. The magazine was published by Forum Publications Ltd which was headed by Kamal Hossain
, who drafted the Constitution of Bangladesh
after the country gained its independence in 1971 and also went onto serve as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
.
Forum emerged as a leading critic of the political and military establishment of West Pakistan, demanding autonomy for East Pakistan and the greater Bengali rights in the aftermath of the 1970 general elections which were won by the Bengali dominated Awami League. After the postponement of the inaugural National Assembly session in March, 1971, Forum led the chorus of Bengali intellectuals expressing disillusionment with the military establishment and the inevitability of the breakup of Pakistan. The Pakistan Army would subsequently shut down the magazine on 26th, March, 1971 during the initial hours of Operation Searchlight
.
In 2006, The Daily Star
, Bangladesh's largest circulating English daily newspaper, began re-publishing the magazine on a monthly basis. Zafar Sobhan serves as the executive editor of the magazine. The editorial board consists of original Forum founders Hameeda Hossain and Rehman Sobhan
as well as Mahfuz Anam
, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star, Matiur Rahman
, Editor and Publisher of Prothom Alo
, and Anisuzzaman
, a professor of Bengali at the University of Dhaka
.
The re-vitalised edition of the magazine has attracted the leading columnists and eminent contributors from across South Asia
, such as Amartya Sen
, Tariq Ali
and Ahmed Rashid
. The magazine has gained popularity for its sophisticated editorial content and has a strong readership in Bangladesh's urban elite.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i English language monthly current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
magazine. Founded in 1969 in the then East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
(present day Bangladesh) by human rights activist Hameeda Hossain and economist Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and civil society leader. He played a leading role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s, including authoring the Two Economies Theory and drafting the Six point demands of Bengali nationalists...
, the magazine became renowned for its outspoken content advocating democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
rights in Pakistan. The magazine was published by Forum Publications Ltd which was headed by Kamal Hossain
Kamal Hossain
Dr. Kamal Hossain , born on 20 April 1937, is a notable Bangladeshi politician, statesman and lawyer. He is credited as being one of the principal authors of the Constitution of Bangladesh.- Education :...
, who drafted the Constitution of Bangladesh
Constitution of Bangladesh
The Constitution of Bangladesh is the supreme law of Bangladesh. It declares Bangladesh as a secular democratic republic where sovereignty belongs to the people; and lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles of the state and spells out the fundamental rights of citizens...
after the country gained its independence in 1971 and also went onto serve as the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh heads the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current foreign minister is Dipu Moni, who has served since January 6, 2009.-List of foreign ministers:-See also:* Constitution of Bangladesh...
.
Forum emerged as a leading critic of the political and military establishment of West Pakistan, demanding autonomy for East Pakistan and the greater Bengali rights in the aftermath of the 1970 general elections which were won by the Bengali dominated Awami League. After the postponement of the inaugural National Assembly session in March, 1971, Forum led the chorus of Bengali intellectuals expressing disillusionment with the military establishment and the inevitability of the breakup of Pakistan. The Pakistan Army would subsequently shut down the magazine on 26th, March, 1971 during the initial hours of Operation Searchlight
Operation Searchlight
Operation Searchlight was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971. Ordered by the central government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been...
.
In 2006, The Daily Star
The Daily Star (Bangladesh)
The Daily Star is the largest circulating English daily newspaper in Bangladesh. Established by Syed Mohammed Ali in 14 January 1991, the newspaper is owned by Mediastar a venture of the Transcom Group, headed by Latifur Rahman...
, Bangladesh's largest circulating English daily newspaper, began re-publishing the magazine on a monthly basis. Zafar Sobhan serves as the executive editor of the magazine. The editorial board consists of original Forum founders Hameeda Hossain and Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan is a prominent Bangladeshi economist and civil society leader. He played a leading role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s, including authoring the Two Economies Theory and drafting the Six point demands of Bengali nationalists...
as well as Mahfuz Anam
Mahfuz Anam
Mahfuz Anam is an editor and publisher of Daily Star, one of Bangladesh's mainstream English language newspapers. He is also the publisher of "Weekly 2000", a prominent weekly newsletter from Bangladesh as well as "Anandadhara", a popular entertainment fortnightly of the country...
, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star, Matiur Rahman
Matiur Rahman (journalist)
Matiur Rahman is the editor of Daily Prothom Alo, the largest circulated Bangla language daily in Bangladesh. He is the recipient of the 2005 Ramon Magsaysay Award for journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.-Early life:...
, Editor and Publisher of Prothom Alo
Prothom Alo
Prothom Alo is a major daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language.-History:Prothom Alo was founded on 4 November 1998. As at January 2009, it had an average circulation of 435,000...
, and Anisuzzaman
Anisuzzaman
Anisuzzaman is an author and academic of Bengali literature. He is Professor Emeritus of the University of Dhaka. He has received the Bangla Academy Award and the Ananda Purashkar for his work in the field of Bengali literature...
, a professor of Bengali at the University of Dhaka
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. It is a multi-disciplinary research university and is among the top universities in the region. Established on July 21, 1921, as per the Government of India Act, 1920, it was modelled on the Universities in England and soon gained...
.
The re-vitalised edition of the magazine has attracted the leading columnists and eminent contributors from across South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, such as Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
, Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali , , is a British Pakistani military historian, novelist, journalist, filmmaker, public intellectual, political campaigner, activist, and commentator...
and Ahmed Rashid
Ahmed Rashid
Ahmed Rashid is a former Pakistani revolutionary, a journalist and best-selling author of several books about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia.-Biography:...
. The magazine has gained popularity for its sophisticated editorial content and has a strong readership in Bangladesh's urban elite.
External links
- BANGLA NEWSPAPER ONLINE http://www.banglanewspaperonline.com/ সকল সংবাদপত্রের সমাহার।
- http://www.thedailystar.net/forum/
- bangladesh forum