History bears witness—those who walk the path of truth, stand tall against injustice, and raise their voices for the exploited people never have an easy life. Conspiracies, propaganda, threats, intimidation, and attempts to assassinate their character await them at every turn of the path. But still, the soldiers of truth do not stop. Because they know that even if lies may temporarily triumph, truth ultimately triumphs. Today, a fake ID is being used against such a truth-seeking, courageous, and uncompromising journalist, Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, on social media to launch a planned propaganda, lies, and threatening campaign. As a conscious citizen, journalist, writer, and long-time comrade-in-arms, I strongly condemn, protest, and abhor this despicable act. Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury is not an ordinary name. In the world of journalism in Chittagong, he is an institution, a courageous voice, and the name of a protest spirit. He is not just a newspaper editor; He is a fighter who is constantly fighting for human rights, justice and truth. Those who are engaged in propaganda against him today do not want to hurt a person but an ideology. They are afraid of his pen, afraid of his truthful utterance, afraid of his courageous stand. Because it has always been seen in history that lies fear truth, injustice fears justice, and corruption fears the conscience of an honest person. We have known each other for almost three decades. In this long time, I have seen him in many forms—as a journalist, as an organizer, as a social thinker and as a patriot. But his long interview aired on Chittagong TV recently took me deeper into his life.
In that interview, I saw the history of the struggle of a man who built himself not by birth, but through struggle. He has candidly recounted the difficult days of his childhood. Even after independence, how a section of society made the lives of ordinary people miserable under the sway of power, how some evil forces tortured innocent families under political cover—he has narrated those cruel memories with extraordinary courage.
He has spoken about his father—an innocent man who was repeatedly sent to prison in false cases. He has spoken about the day when an attempt was made to destroy their family financially. He has spoken about hunger, deprivation, humiliation and helplessness. A teenager, Mizanur, saw how people bowed their heads to injustice, and again saw how some people stood up against injustice and created history. That teenage experience gave birth to the fire of protest in him. It gave birth to an unwavering commitment to truth. So he did not break down, but rather converted adversity into strength. At one point in his life, he also walked the path of politics. But he quickly realized—the politics of power and the politics of public welfare are not always the same. He has seen that many times, party interests swallow up the interests of the people. Then he decided that he would stand by the people, not under the banner of any party, but with the power of his own conscience. This decision brought him into the world of journalism.
Journalism was never a profession for him; it was a mission. A social responsibility. A moral commitment. He knew that telling the truth had value. Yet he spoke the truth. He knew that writing against the powerful would increase enemies. Yet he did not stop writing. He knew that an opportunistic society leaves brave people alone. Yet he did not compromise.
Through many obstacles, dangers, economic crises and adversities, he built his own newspaper. He created a platform for independent expression. As an editor, he was never limited to publishing news; he tried to become the conscience of society. His assessment of the reality of today’s journalism is also very important. He believes that if journalism becomes the mouthpiece of power, the people lose their last refuge. Therefore, he repeatedly called on journalists to stand by the people.
In his speech, I heard the voice of a fearless person. The cry of a person who loves the country. The concern of a citizen who wants Bangladesh to become a just state. With this thought, he established “Love Bangladesh”. The simpler the name, the deeper its philosophy. He believes that patriotism is not just about flying the flag on National Day; patriotism is about standing against corruption, protesting injustice, protecting people’s property and fulfilling one’s responsibilities honestly.
He urges people to say at least once a day—“I love Bangladesh.” This sentence is not just a slogan for him; it is a moral commitment, a civic oath. Today, when we hear about corruption, looting, nepotism and moral degradation at different levels of society, the presence of people like Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury shows us a ray of hope.
He reminds us—Bangladesh is not over yet. Truth is still alive. Conscience is still awake. The voice of protest has not yet been silenced. That is why the propaganda against him is not just an attack on an individual; it is an attack on truth, justice, independent journalism and free thought. I believe that even if the propagandists can temporarily spread confusion, they will have no place in history. But the names of people who fought for the truth will be written in golden letters on the pages of time. Today, I want to say with deep respect—Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury is not just an editor; he is the name of a moving history, a struggling spirit, an awakened conscience. He has proven that if a person wants, he can move forward on the path of light even after breaking through the mountains of adversity. May his pen be stronger, his voice be louder, his struggle be wider—this is my hope.
Red salute to a courageous editor.
Red salute to a fearless truth-seeking journalist.
Red salute to a struggling patriot.
Red salute to the man who still believes—Bangladesh will one day become a shining state of truth, justice, humanity and honesty. Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury—you are not a person, you are the name of a courage. You are the name of an inspiration. You are the name of the dream of an awakened Bangladesh.