Prothom Alo turned 22 amid a the COVID-19 pandemic prevailing all over the world including Bangladesh. The economy is in turmoil, livelihoods are in crisis. The media is affected too. Yet in the midst of this prolonged crisis, Prothom Alo continues in its responsibility to quench people's thirst for information. Readers, writers, advertisers, distributors, hawkers are all by our side. On this 22nd anniversary, we would like to express our sincere thanks and best wishes to all.
Keeping in mind the inseparable role of the media in the struggle to establish a democratic society, Prothom Alo has been striving to practice good journalism for 22 years. There have been mistakes, but these have been readily corrected. We believe that is why Prothom Alo has become the most widely circulated and trusted media in Bangladesh. It has received the love and support of millions of readers in more than two hundred countries of the world. But this long journey has not been a smooth one.
The challenges faced by independent and responsible journalism since the inception of Prothom Alo on 4 November 1998, remain today. In fact, further challenges have been added, most notably the black law called the Digital Security Act. But Prothom Alo is adamant to adhere to the principles of honest, objective and responsible journalism, overcoming all obstacles. It will always remain so. Prothom Alo will move forward with the spirit of democracy, rule of law, social equality and justice, and secularism.
Prothom Alo, for the sake of good governance, informs the public about corruption, abuse of power, terrorism, militancy and negative political activities as well as all good initiatives and activities at the individual and community level. We support good initiatives by the administration and government and criticise misdeeds. It also encourages creative, enterprising people to go further. We have continued in our efforts to build a tolerant, rational and scientific society. Prothom Alo has received the support and cooperation of readers from all walks of life as it has taken a non-partisan position from the beginning.
Bangladesh's economy has been steadily advancing. The standard of living of the people has improved. The rate of education has increased. Improvements in the health sector have increased life expectancy. Infant and maternal mortality rates have decreased. Prothom Alo has been playing the role of a collaborator in this progress of Bangladesh. Prothom Alo will continue to play its role as a media outlet in overcoming the deep wounds caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the national economy.
There is no alternative to democracy and the rule of law to realise the dream of building a happy and prosperous Bangladesh. The role of independent journalism in this case is undeniable, which has unfortunately shrunk. In addition, due to the impact of technological change, the media industry in Bangladesh, like the rest of the world, is facing severe economic problems.
However, we believe that new technology has brought new possibilities for journalism. Reader support is now more important than ever in trying to use those possibilities to further develop good journalism. We, like those first days, are striving to live up to our commitment to developing good journalism in Bangladesh. We want Bangladesh to stand long in front of the world as a proud nation. We stand steadfast with the joint efforts of the entire nation to take the country forward towards that goal.