Background
National vernacular Bhorer Kagojis a leading Bengali language daily published from the capital Dhaka. The newspaper was founded in 1992.
Naimul Islam Khan was the founder and editor of the newspaper. He left Bhorer Kagoj in 1992 to lead a non-profit organization named Bangladesh Center for Development, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC).
Matiur Rahman, the current editor of Daily Prothom Alo, took charge of the newspaper and held the position for the next six years.During the mid-1990s it was considered one of the highest circulated newspapers in Bangladesh. His departure from Bhorer Kagoj was filled up by Benazir Ahmed, Abed Khan, and finally the current editor Shyamal Dutta respectively. In its early days, the newspaper was considered left-leaning and received no government advertisement during the then BNP government.
After Saber Hossain Chowdhury joined the cabinet of theAwami League government, Rahman felt pressured to shape the newspaper’s stance in accordance with the ruling party and this led to his resignation. After him, Benazir Ahmed took charge of the newspaper as an editor. But, during that time The Daily Bhorer Kagoj???s popularity decreased dramatically. Abed Khan joined the daily Bhorer Kagoj on 18 June 2003 as its editor. He worked there from 2003 until his resignation in 2005. During that time, he helped the daily banish its tainted image and recover from financial distress.
Since Abed Khan???s departure, Shyamal Dutta is the editor of the newspaper.
Ownership and Key Individuals
The Daily Bhorer Kagoj is published by Mediascene Limited???a company in which business conglomerate Karnaphuli Limited has a major interest.Mediascene is also the owner of Daily Deener Sheshey.
Tarik Sujat is a director for Desh TV. He is the Managing Director of Mediascene Ltd. that publishes Bhorer Kagoj and Deener Sheshey. Karnaphuli Limited has a controlling interests in Mediascene Ltd. He received MSS in Political Science from University of Dhaka in 1990, BA from University of Dhaka in 1987. He completed in HSC from Dhaka College in 1984 and SSC from University Laboratory School in 1982.
He is also a poet. His father, Tofazzol Hossian, was a veteran journalist, language activist and poet. His other business affiliations are: CEO JOURNEYMAN???an interior & graphic design company, Managing Director of i-infomedia Ltd., and Ambient Media BD., Managing Partner Journeyman-Riddhi Consortium (Architecture & Interior Design), Director of Bay Leasing and Investment Ltd., Director Desh Television Limited, Chairman of Cantib Limited, proprietor One Stop Printshop???Offset Printing Press.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, is the publisher of the daily newspaper.He is a graduate of School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and holds a Joint Honors degree in Economics and Politics. He has also received a Diploma in Law from University of Westminster, United Kingdom having completed the Academic stage for entry to the Bar. As the 28th President of Inter-Parliamentary Union, he is the first Bangladeshi to have been elected to this highest office of global parliamentary leadership. Saber Hossain Chowdhury received the highest State Awards???Order of Friendship???from the Russian Federation in 2017 and from Vietnam in 2018 ??? the first President of the IPU in its 128-year history to be so decorated. Mr. Chowdhury has been a Member of High-Level Steering Group – Every Woman Every Child – a global movement to champion the health of women, children and adolescents led by the UN Secretary-General. Mr. Chowdhury is a current Member of the global Business Leaders Caucus, an initiative of OECD???s Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) to realise Agenda 2030.Currently, Mr. Chowdhury is serving his fourth term in Parliament and chairs the Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He is also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Planning.
Business Affiliations: Managing Director, Karnaphuli group. Karnaphuli group has business in Port shipping and logistics, Media and Publishing , Securities Trading ( HR Securities; Finvest Financial Services) , Health Care (Holy Crescent Hospital Chittagong), Real Estate (Karnaphuli Garden City, HR Bhaban, Karnaphuli Media Point), Motor Cycles (affiliated with China-based Haojue Motorcycle company) , Retail (Exclusive distributor of US Polo, Skechers, W, Aurelia), General Insurance and Financial Services (Republic Insurance Company Litd.), Marketing and Distribution (Renault, Mahindra, Haojue) , Easyfly Express (Cargo Service Provider).
Shyamal Dutta is the current editor of BhorerKagoj. He was the Diplomatic Correspondent of the Daily BhorerKagoj in 1992, and Chief Reporter and Special Correspondent of the newspaper in 1998.
According to the official website of the newspaper, Saber Hossain Chowdhury is the publisher of the daily. But poet Tarik Sujat is the Managing Director of Mediascene Ltd.???the publication house that bring out the newspaper. He was awarded the Prothom Alo Award in 2017 at the International Kolkata Book Fair given by Indian fortnightly Prothom Alo. As a businessperson, Tarik Sujat who is involved with more than a dozen companies. He is also Managing Director of Ambient Media (Bangladesh) Ltd., and Hamrai Press Holdings Ltd. It is worthwhile to note that Saber Hossain Chowdhury is the chairman of both Hamrai Press Holdings Ltd. and Mediascene Ltd???both of whose managing director is Tarik Sujat.
At present, he is the CEO of an interior design company named Journeyman, One Stop Print Shop, and Colors of Bangladesh. Tarik Sujat is the Director of Bay Leasing & Investment Ltd., Asia Insurance Ltd., Desh TV Ltd., and Daily BhorerKagoj. Born in 1965 September in Dhaka, he achieved a Master degree in Political Science from Dhaka University in 1990. He is the second son Toffazzal Hossain, a veteran poet of language movement and reputed writer and journalist.
Legal cases
A court in Rajshahi court issued an arrest warrant against the editor Shyamal Dutta in a defamation case filed against him in 2016 for allegedly publishing a false news report on the General Secretary of Workers Party Fazle Hossain Badshah.
The Editor???s Council condemned the arrest warrant in a statement which was signed by leading journalists including Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar, The Daily Star Editor MahfuzAnam, DainikIttefaq acting Editor Tasmima Hossain, Bangladesh Protidin Editor Nayeem Nizam, Dhaka Tribune Editor Zafar Sobhan, Bonikbarta Editor Dewan Hanif Mahmud, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, Daily Nayadiganta Editor Alamgir Mohiuddin and KalerkanthoImdadulHaqMilon.
Sources
Government of Bangladesh. (2019, October 21)Number of Circulation of Newspapers Published from Dhaka and Their Advertisement Rates. Department of Film and Publication.www.dpf.gov.bd
New Age. (2017, January 30) Tarik Sujat receives award in India.http://www.newagebd.net/article/8127/tarik-sujat-receives-award-in-india
Karnaphuli, ???Areas of Activity???, http://www.karnaphuli.com/areas-of-activities/media-and-publishing
Tarik Sujat, ???Biography???, http://tariksujat.com/index.php?id=bio
The Daily Star, ???Russia honours Saber Hossain Chowdhury with ???Order of Friendship??????, October 15, 2017 https://www.thedailystar.net/politics/russia-honours-inter-parliamentary-union-ipu-president-saber-hossain-chowdhury-with-order-of-friendship-highest-state-decoration-1476733
Dhaka Tribune, ???Editors’ Council condemns arrest warrant against BhorerKagoj editor???, January 7, 2018 https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/dhaka/2018/01/07/editors-warrant-bhorer-editor
Address and Contact Details
Karnaphuli Media Point
Level 3
70 Shaheed Sangbadik Selina PervinSarak
New Circular Road
Malibagh
Dhaka-1217
Email: bkagojnews@gmail.com, news@bhorerkagoj.info