THROUGH THE EYES OF SHYKH SERAJ
A noted Bangladeshi journalist, agriculture development activist and media personality, Shykh Seraj (born September 7, 1954) has a stunning portfolio which can easily baffle anyone. He completed his SSC from Khilgaon Govt. High School and HSC from Notre Dame College. He earned his Honors and Masters Degree in Geography from the University of Dhaka. He hosted the popular television series 'Mati O Manush' on BTV since 1982. In 1999, he became the director of News at Channel i. In 2004, he started a new program at Channel i titled 'Hridoye Mati O Manush' based on the format of his earlier program.
He received many prestigious awards, including the two highest civilian honours, Swadhinata Puroshkar (2018) and Ekushey Padak (1995), respectively. Other prestigious accolades are UNESCO Bangladesh Journalism Award (2009), Bangabandhu Gold Medal (2005), Gold Medal in National Fish Fortnight Award (2005), Gold Medal in Development of Economy (2005), Dr Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal, UN's FAO A.H. Boerma Award, Gusi Peace Prize (2015), Ranada Prasad Saha Gold Medal (2016), Ashoka Fellowship (1992), Bangla Academy Fellowship (2016) and many more.
INSPIRATION
I am blessed with a harmonious family where everyone was under the same paternal shelter. Of course, my father is my first inspiration. His honesty, modesty and values greatly inspired me. Interestingly, I along with my three brothers still live together in the same house. I think this brotherhood was transmitted to us through genes. In my view, a person's education comes from his educational institution, but his philosophy is shaped by his family. Therefore, my family is my inspiration.
PHILOSOPHY
Life is evanescent. And in this short span of life, people keep on dreaming. I think dreams are of two types. One is the reflection of what a person deals with, and the other doesn't make any sense at all. But from the very beginning, I have dreamt of enlightening our society as well as introducing Bangladesh as a developed country to the world. I have been working to make things easier for the coming generation. My philosophy is to lead life with honesty, sincerity and dedication. Life is precious and I would love to serve for the society as much as possible.
VIEWS ON HIS PROFESSION
A journalist has to be honest towards his profession. He has to watch everything through the vision of others. Journalism basically introduces us to a new dimension of life. I appreciate the talents of our young generation. But it is a matter of regret that some of them are following shortcuts to attain fame and money. It's my request to them to not run after fame or money and not to depend fully on technology. Rather, they should utilize their talents properly with constant practice and dedication. By doing these, they will come closer to their goals. Moreover, to be a leader, one should be sincere, dedicated, honest and respectful towards their work.
BOOKS
I have read a lot of books in my life. The book series of Masud Rana and Kuasha by Qazi Anwar Hussain are the ones I like the most. I was into work so early in my life that I barely had any time to read. But, I follow newspapers a lot, if that is called readership beyond the boundary of books.
FILMS
Since childhood, I love to watch movies a lot. I even have some funny memories of school days, like bunking class to watch movies in the hall. I love old Bengali films the most. Dip Neve Nai, Pitch Dhala Poth, Khaj Kata Hirey, Nil Akasher Niche, Moynamoti, Obujh Mon and Agontuk are some of my favorite Bengali movies.
MUSIC
Music has always been my loyal companion. I love listening to old melodious songs; especially the 60s, 70s and 80s songs have never failed to amaze me. I am also a huge fan of Bengali movie songs. Among them, Tondra Hara Noyono Amar by Hasina Momtaz, O Duti Noyone Shopone Choyone by Khurshid Alam, Nil Akasher Niche Ami by Khondokar Faruk Ahmed and Chokh Je Moner Kotha Bole by Khondokar Nurul Alam are some of my top most favorite songs.
FUTURE PLANS
Though I have no specific plan for the future, I just have an aspiration to make our country more developed in the agricultural area. It is known to us that two-thirds of our total population are living in the villages and are fully dependent on the agriculture. Moreover, they are the poverty-stricken people of our country. Therefore, to think only about the city-dwellers will not affect too much in the overall development of our country. Hence, the idea of bringing the light in agricultural sectors came to my mind and I started taking initiatives for the betterment of all. I wish the agricultural scientists of our country could dominate the agriculture research stations globally. I think agro-based knowledge in the young generation should be implemented properly. Then the probable challenges they would face may be the climate change and the 4th revolution of industry. But it is possible to be safe from the adverse effects by utilizing technology as well as possessing adequate knowledge.
IDOLS
Undoubtedly, my father is my idol. I greatly admire his ideologies. He is the person who has taught me how to live with honesty, sincerity and dedication. Moreover, I can simply say that honesty itself is the idol of my life.