Editorial
A tribute to Shahadat
We mourn his passing
The death of journalist Shahadat Choudhury is a great loss to the profession and men that he was associated with for over three decades. He opened a new horizon on periodical journalism and played a pioneering role in carrying it forward with an innovative flair. He in his own inimitable way upheld people's rights and the principles that the new born state stood for. He was a valiant freedom fighter equipped with not only arms, but also with ideas to face the reactionary forces.Shahadat Choudhury's persona and works had two distinct features. First, he brought to bear on his activities a powerful element of social responsibility and commitment. Secondly, he set new trends in magazine journalism with a modernist vision. The infusion of new techniques and introduction of a wide range of interesting features through robust team work made weekly Bichitra, the most popular news magazine. He was the epitome of a Bengalee. But his refinement and sophistication never detached him from the people. A genial, effable and instantly helpful man, Shahadat Choudhury was known for his friendly warmth and engaging charm. He never shrank from the sense of responsibility that he always felt towards his friends and well-wishers. Shahadat Choudhury belonged to that breed of men and women who had dreamt, fought and worked for an independent Bangladesh. The standards set by him are worth emulating, if only because they are so firmly rooted in our culture and ethos. His was one of the loudest and most persistent voices against fundamentalism and bigotry. In his own writings and in the coverage of Bichitra and later Weekly 2000, he exposed those who used religion for political ends. The new genre of journalists have a lot to learn from him -- patriotism, an uncompromising stand on all social ills and an unflinching commitment against all forms of fundamentalism. We mourn the death of the man who has always been a source of inspiration to us and pray for the salvation of the departed soul. May his family have the strength to bear his loss.
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