While I was a student of a school in a semi-urban township far from Dhaka city, knowing English was considered extra qualification apart from our class study. So, we had a prime target to learn and practice English in those days. I was advised by my school teacher to read the English newspaper 'Observer' regularly. At that time Observer was the only English newspaper within our acquaintance. I still remember that every morning I used to go to the downtown newsstand quite afar from our home. I used to walk down for a few minutes and collect a copy of the Observer, occasionally, if not daily. That habit of mine lasted for quite a long while.
The Observer became a household name by this time, for the elderly for its guts, ethics and erudition and for the students who fancied to learn English and its appropriate diction. Reading English newspapers was a fashion and luxury for the burgeoning well-off families. I still remember that walking on roads with a copy of the Observer in hand or reading Observer in public symbolized aristocracy those days.
When I grew older, I advised my daughters too to read the observer for learning good English. But with the emergence of other English newspapers, especially The Daily Star we almost forgot the name of Observer albeit wherever I saw somebody was reading Observer, instantly it made me emotive. Suddenly, the reports on shutting down of the traditional and historic newspaper made me evocative and nostalgic. The Observer is apart of our history, and it will never die from our heart, especially people of our age.
If anybody from the publishing family ever takes the initiative to republish the historic newspaper again, that will be a welcome contribution to our future generations. Adieu Observer.

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Thanks to the Daily Star (DS) for remembering its forerunner Bangladesh Observer (BO) in the editorial (10/06/10). DS rightly admitted the debt to BO as 'nursing ground' for most of the English language journalists of the country.
I, as a reader of and contributor to this pioneer daily, would be waiting to see its revival under able guardianship.
MAS Molla, Essayist on social issues and life member, BAAS