Eminent columnist, poet, litterateur and veteran of the language movement of 1952 Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury was awarded the PIB-Sohel Samad Memorial Award-2014.
Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu handed over a crest to Gaffar Chowdhury at a programme at the auditorium of the Press Institute of Bangladeshi (PIB) in the capital yesterday.
Meanwhile, Sohel Samad’s family member Belal Samad handed over a cheque of Tk 50,000 and PIB Chairman Habibur Rahman Milon handed over a certificate to the veteran journalist at the programme.
Speaking on the occasion, Gaffar Chowdhury said: “This award should be given to those who will have outstanding performances in journalism to keep alive the memory of Shohel Samad.”
Immoral practices are becoming more prominent in journalism, and journalists becoming businessman in the country, he said.
“We need objective journalism to remove the prevailing situation,” he added. Inu said though Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury is a man of certain period, but he has succeed to transcend his period. He has a vast experience of observations on Bangladesh. He is a witnesses of three pillar of Bangladesh like Language Movement of 52, Liberation War of 71 and Democracy Movement of 90, the minister said.
Cultural personality Kamal Lohani said the song “Aamar Bhaiyer Rokte Rangano Ekushe February” by Abdul Gaffar will remain as long as Bangladesh and Bangla language exist.
Abdul Gaffar writes against bad politics, fundamentalism, racism and corruption, he said.
Golam Sarwar, editor of Bangla daily Samakal, said although there are some criticism about the columns by Gaffar Chowdhury, people read the columns even who does not like him personally.
PM’s Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Information Secretary Mortuza Ahmed, Belal Samad and Habibur Rahman Milon also spoke on the occasion.
