SM Ali, a distinguished journalist of our country was born seventy seven years ago this day, December 5, in a well-known literary family of Sylhet. His is a candid portrait of a journalist who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and writing gift to serving the nation. In reminiscing his professional career, here are some snapshot glimpses along with personal memories. He made his debut in the early fifties as a reporter of the erstwhile premier English daily. The Pakistan Observer, he was conspicuous before long for his feature-reportage, The City We Live In. Later, on his return to Pakistan from England, he served in senior positions in the reputed dailies like The Dawn in Karachi and The Pakistan Times in Lahore where he also used to teach journalism as a part-timer of the Punjab University. In 1962 he moved to Hongkong with an assignment with The Asia Magazine which was followed by senior editorial positions with the Bangkok Post, The New Nation (Singapore) and The Hongkong Standard. SM Ali was though away from newspaper world for more than a decade since 1975 serving the Press Foundation of Asia in Hongkong and Manila and UNESCO as its Regional Adviser for Asia in Kualalampur as its regional adviser, his romance with journalism however remained passionately singular. In the late eighties, after his stint as editor of The Bangladesh Observer and as advisory editor of the UNB, a news agency, he launched The Daily Star as its founding editor in 1991. And that was the finest hour, -- the grand finale -- of his stellar career in journalism spanning more than forty-four years. Under his able stewardship, the paper caught the eye of discerning readers in no time, its readership continued to soar along with its innovative accomplishments. Not the straitjacket of party-leaning newspaper, The Daily Star remained steadfast to professional ethics of objectivity. In the backdrop of high temperature of our polarised politics and it attendant adverse effect on the society, it certainly was not a mean feat to keep up such a stance, as one would agree. The paper is now virtually the flagship of our country's English journalism as a liberal, progressive daily. The Daily Star shines luminously, not twinkles.

S M Ali's novel, Rainbow Over Padma is flushed with patriotic fervour. Humanity is never in doubt in his work. He extols the people as the real heroes of Bangladesh. Beyond the terrifying spectre that haunts every socio-political treatise of a liberation war and also the desperate sociology of the society, the writer in his prescience finds in our down-trodden people a promise of a new Bangladesh where they would be lifted out of the indebtedness and poverty cycle and live with human dignity. Surely, none needs a past riddled with humiliation of colonial rule when the future promises a turning of tables. He writes with a narrative drive and an ability to capture situations that make us turn the pages with eager anticipation. The cost of excellence in his writing is his personal devotion and pain taken. The book is a strong addition to the genre of fictional work on nation's resurgence in the aftermath of a gruelling war of independence. The book was published in Dhaka posthumously in 1994. His another book, After The Dark Night was published by the Thompson Press (India) 1974.

The esteem in which he was held as a journalist-writer was evident when the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos address him as Dr Ali when the latter called on him at his presidential palace in Manila. Taken aback, he informed the President that he was not conferred such degree anytime before. In his reply the President said if your writings are any measure, you earned the degree much earlier than now.

SM Ali was always keen to share his professional expertise with the young aspirants who would like to make a career in journalism. In the mid-fifties when I was bracing for a career in journalism, I received a two-page typed letter from SM Ali. The letter, I would say, was quite a booster to my morale in charting out my future career at a vital cross-road of my life. In his letter he, inter-alia, counselled me to cultivate the habit of writing vigorously, -- vital ingredient for a career in journalism. He, however, cautioned me not to nurse any illusion about journalism. 'Life in journalism is too hard for most of us. Often it may seem almost unbearable,' he wrote. His was indeed a realistic appraisal of the situation prevailing then in our nascent newspaper industry world when the profession obviously did not belong to faint hearts. Yet there were young aspirants who took courage to face the challenge. To many, its thrill apart, the moving urge to join the profession was its unique role to serve the society from a 'vantage point'. Today after a long and arduous journey over the decades, journalism has come of age in our part of the world. It now commands pretty good rating in terms of money and respectability. The newspapers despite television onslaught, survive gloriously and their number continues to proliferate. The average reader likes to have the stories in front of him in black and white and not moving, even if he has seen them before, flickering across the tele-screen. As long as he cannot leaf through the television news, newspaper will flourish.

Regrettably, if it is to be mentioned, SM Ali, a nationally honoured journalist hardly gets mention in the profession by way of remembrance or gratitude even at a distance of thirteen years since his demise. This apathy is noticeable not only in the realm of journalism but in other segments of the society as well. Evidently, we have moved so quickly to the sordidness of the present moment because the traditional deference the pioneering elders once received had almost entirely disappeared. To note, SM Ali, beholden to their legacies, wrote excellent pieces on Altaf Hossain and Abdus Salam, the two outstanding editors of his time recalling their memorable contribution to journalism, nay to the nation.

SM Ali was an essentially kindly and good humoured man who never lost his disarming wit. In his popular column My World in The Daily Star, SM Ali wished that the books he received from writers were put on sale after he was gone. Contrarily, one may fervently hope that those books, if not already sold away, were preserved with care as an epitaph to the hallowed memory of the late-lamented editor.

Our tribute in spades.

Syed Badrul Haque, former Public Relation Officer to the President, is a contributor to The Daily Star.