Remembering the Founders
SM Ali
Founding Editor of The Daily Star
Born on December 5, 1928 and educated in Calcutta, Dhaka and London, Ali started his journalistic career as the first reporter of the then Pakistan Observer when it was launched in 1949. Later he worked for Dawn (Karachi), Pakistan Times (Lahore), News Chronicle (London) and BBC. But it was in Southeast Asia where he excelled as a journalist and leader. He was Assistant Editor of the Asia Magazine, the Southeast Asian Bureau Chief of Dawn, the Managing Editor of the Bangkok Post, roving Foreign Editor of the New Nation (Singapore) and the Managing Editor of the Hong Kong Standard. He also became Executive Director of the Manila based Press Foundation of Asia in 1977. Later he joined UNESCO as Regional Advisor for Asia in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite his smooth and highly successful journalistic career, Ali was still restless and nurtured a secret dream of starting a newspaper in his homeland, a dream shared by his friend and former UNESCO colleague Mahfuz Anam. The two of them finally took the plunge with the help of a very supportive and enlightened group of investors and founded The Daily Star in January 1991. He continued to be the Editor- Publisher of The Daily Star till his death on October 17, 1993.
Though physically bogged down by frequent illnesses while he was building the paper, he never ran out of innovative ideas. With his extensive experience of journalism in Southeast Asia, he brought to the fore, a set of standards for his paper that he, along with his then Executive Editor, Mahfuz Anam, meticulously tried to inculcate among the staff – both seasoned journalists as well as the aspiring ones. Being so well connected allowed him to lure many new writers – former diplomats, bureaucrats and senior journalists from home and abroad. He also wrote himself, a weekly column called 'My World' that gave a glimpse of just how vast it was. A perfect gentleman and epitome of kindness, he was adored by his staff. His steadfast love for objectivity and creativity will continue to be an inspiration to journalists the world over.
AS Mahmud
Founding Managing Director of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star
AS Mahmud was the founding Managing Director of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star and one of the driving forces behind launching of this paper. He played a central role in bringing the Mediaworld board together.
He launched the first terrestrial private channel, Ekushey Television, on April 14, 2000. Through the launch of Ekushey TV, Mahmud opened an entirely new horizon in the arena of news and entertainment. Mahmud was a man with a modern, unorthodox outlook towards life His ability to mix with people of any age and background at ease, explains the reason why he was so successful in assembling a group of bright young professionals for jump starting ETV. Many of today's media stars in the private TV channels have had their initial training and orientation through the well developed professional culture that Mahmud was able to nurture in the ETV. Had it not been for the initial success of ETV, there would not have been so many entrepreneurs and professionals investing in and joining the private television channel industry which was still at its infancy stage at that time.
Mahmud had the vision to foresee a time for Bangladesh when people's insatiable hunger for reliable news and objective reporting would have to be met by a dynamic private sector. The people of Bangladesh will always remember him for his outstanding contributions to the development of free media in the country.
Azimur Rahman
Founder-Chairman of Mediaworld Ltd, the owning company of The Daily Star
Azimur Rahman was born in Kolkata in 1935, and completed his B.Sc. honors in Science from Dhaka University and his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado University in Boulder, USA. He was the youngest son of Late Khan Bahadur Faizur Rahman, the first Muslim Post Master General in undivided India, stationed in Madras.
His self effacing demeanour belied his sharp mind and entrepreneurial excellence. An enterprising industrialist, he was the Chairman and Managing Director of Arlinks Groups, Founder Director of Reliance Insurance Ltd. and a former Vice President of Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI). He was a founding board member of Mediastar Ltd, the owning company of the Daily Prothom Alo.
He was also an avid sportsman from his early years with a passion for tennis and later, golf, winning many awards in tournaments of both sports.
His interest in the print media came later in life but it was with great enthusiasm that he involved himself as one of the founders of The Daily Star. As the founding chair of Mediaworld Ltd, he was instrumental in getting the company going as an efficient and modern media business house. He always advocated for providing good working conditions for the staff and introduced a management policy that was shared by all the other directors. But most importantly, like the other members of the board, he was a true believer in the freedom of the media and had an instrumental role in making The Daily Star a truly independent newspaper.
Tawfiq Aziz Khan
Founder and Managing Editor of The Daily Star
Tawfiq Aziz Khan was known to most people as the master sports commentator on radio and television whose polite serenity gave his criticisms all the more force. But he was also many other things: illustrious journalist, theatre enthusiast, Rotarian and one of the founding members of The Daily Star.
Joining the Pakistan Observer as a staff reporter in 1958 while he was still a student of DU, Tawfiq Aziz worked as public relations officer at the erstwhile EPIDC (East Pakistan Industries Development Corporation) and Titas Gas Corporation from 1968 to 1975, before joining the Dainik Bangla and the Bichitra as general manager. He also worked with different broadcast media since 1958.
In 1990, Khan joined The Daily Star, the largest circulated English daily of the country as its founder managing editor, eventually becoming its executive editor in 1997. He worked in that capacity till his death in 2001.
Khan was the founder editor of the fortnightly Sports World (Krira Jagat) and the resident editor of Cricketer Asia of Hong Kong and Sports Times of Lahore. He was also involved with the Weekly Holiday at the initial stage of its publication. A permanent member of Jatiya Press Club, the dedicated journalist was elected president of Bangladesh Sports Writers' Association six times.
The man with the bushy moustache and finely brushed, shiny hair will be remembered most for his professional integrity, humility and sharp wit.
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