Our readers' love is the greatest reward

Prothom Alo was first published on 4 November 1998. A child born on that day would now be 27 years old. It's incredible. Just think, a seven-year-old child who solved the picture puzzle in the first week of Prothom Alo’s publication, is now a parent of a seven-year-old.

It is so delightful when we meet readers who say, “I've been reading Prothom Alo from the very first day. My mother used to read it too. She is no longer alive. Now my children have grown up, and they also read Prothom Alo. Prothom Alo is like a member of our family. Even my grandchild reads Prothom Alo online.”

Wherever we go, whether home or abroad, in Dhaka or Chattogram, Rajshahi or Jashore, someone or the other invariably comes forward. Maybe they are magistrates, a corporate officer, an NGO leader, or a university professor. They come and say, “I read Prothom Alo, and not only that, I was a member of the Bondhushava.” Some says, “I attended your GPA-5 reception ceremony.” From abroad, entrepreneurs or scientists who graduated from MIT come and say, “I used to take part in the Math Olympiad, and that is why I am where I am today.”

There are joyous moments and sad ones too. A BUET student had become a drug addict. His studies were in limbo and his life had turned upside down. His mother used to bring him to the Prothom Alo Trust’s anti-addiction counseling sessions. He recovered from addiction. He passed his exams and was able to build a good career. His mother came to us and said, “I pray for Prothom Alo. May Prothom Alo go to heaven.”

And then there are the gifted children from disadvantaged families who, after receiving Prothom Alo Trust’s Odommo Medhabi scholarship, have become doctors, engineers, teachers and civil servants. Through the Odidtya education scholarship, girls from the poorest households are getting the opportunity to be the first graduates in their families by studying at the Asian University for Women in Chattogram. Some of them, after finishing their studies, have gone on to pursue higher education in Paris or Montreal, and now work there.

First and foremost, Prothom Alo has always aimed at good journalism, to remain non-partisan, to remain independent, to stand with the people and to speak the truth with courage. This has been our principle right from the start, 27 years ago.

There is a story even before Prothom Alo was published. Many of us were working at another newspaper. The founder of that paper was elected an MP in the government back then. We felt that we wanted to run a newspaper that would be non-partisan. At that time we met the chairman of the Transcom Group, Latifur Rahman. The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam mediated the meeting.

We will always remember our founding chairman, Latifur Rahman. He never interfered in Prothom Alo’s editorial matters. He never once asked what would be printed or why something was printed. He only encouraged us.

I recall how the Sheikh Hasina government not only stopped government advertisements, they also called various private companies and instructed them not to advertise in Prothom Alo. Prothom Alo is the most widely read newspaper in the country. If companies do not advertise in it, their business suffers and so one businessman raised an objection. He was threatened, “You will go to your office in the morning. Is there any guarantee that you will return home safely at night?”

At that time I went to Latifur Rahman. After listening to everything, he said, business has profits and losses, that is the norm. You have made profits for many years. Now there will be losses. Do not compromise.

Under the rule of every government, Prothom Alo has been at odds with those in power, often becoming a target of attacks or repressive measures. There are cases filed against me and my colleagues, and two of my colleagues were even taken to prison. Yet, even though past authoritarian governments were able to seize or shut down many institutions illegally, they could not close down Prothom Alo. Why not? The answer lies in the newspaper’s vast readership. A paper whose readership exceeds millions each month cannot be shut down without consequences for the government. It is our large readership that has protected us.

We believe the reason for this reader support is Prothom Alo’s non-partisanship, professionalism, patriotism, humanitarianism and commitment to keeping up with the times.

There is no substitute for a free and independent press in a democracy. In a democracy, the people elect their rulers for four or five years; they are not our owners. They are there to serve us. Their power is not unlimited; it is regulated by law and principles. Unfortunately, rulers often forget this. Instead of democracy, they try to establish tyranny, plunder, dynastic rule and party rule.

Only an independent press and the rule of law can stand up against this reckless, one-eyed monster. Prothom Alo makes that effort. It seeks to protect democracy, wielding journalism professionally to safeguard every citizen’s fundamental human rights. This work often provokes danger. Yet rulers come and go, and despite oppression and repression, Prothom Alo and journalism endure, and the people prevail.

If you remain honest and present the truth with evidence, even oppressive power cannot suppress you. That is why truthful reporting protects journalism; truth is the greatest source of courage for journalists.

According to this year’s survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 57 per cent of the country’s newspaper readers read Prothom Alo, both print and online. Prothom Alo has also gained international recognition. Last month in Munich, Germany, at the global publishers’ organisation WAN-IFRA, Prothom Alo won the World’s Best award in two categories: new-generation reader engagement and creativity in regional advertising in print newspapers.

At the ‘INMA Global Media Awards 2025,’ organised by the global media association INMA, Prothom Alo received the highest honour as the best media outlet in the South Asia region. The award was presented at a ceremony held in the United States in May.

This recognition comes as a reflection of protests based on the July people’s uprising, an acknowledgment of initiatives that inspire generations through truth and resilience. At the same event, Prothom Alo also won first prize in the ‘Best Idea to Encourage Reader Engagement’ category, and third prize in the ‘Best Use of an Event to Build a News Brand’ category.

This recognition makes Prothom Alo even more humble. It strengthens our commitment. A media outlet is public trust. We have not taken up this work merely to make our own lives and livelihood comfortable. We want to make Bangladesh better, to contribute to building a safe, harmonious, and equitable country for the next generation. To achieve that, we have only one path, one weapon, one resource: honest, objective, independent and non-partisan journalism.

These 27 years of Prothom Alo are the result of the combined efforts of many. The name, Prothom Alo, was proposed by Abul Momen and Mofidul Haque. Qayyum Chowdhury placed a sun on the masthead, making it stand out from all others. Latifur Rahman encouraged us: “Make a big newspaper, think big.” The people of the country stood by us.

Our hawker brothers pedaling past paddy fields through the winter darkness, our binder brothers staying up late binding the newspapers, the journalist carrying the scars of persecution for reporting against local power brokers, our nearly one thousand staff members, the hundreds of thousands of Prothom Alo Bondhushava volunteers, our online platforms, social media, video and publications, and readers spread across more than 200 countries, all together, this is Prothom Alo.

I am fortunate to be a fellow passenger on that journey. Every role at Prothom Alo is invaluable. If even a single screw falls out, the airplane will not fly. If even one staff member did not do their part, Prothom Alo could not run. Together, we are Prothom Alo.

But its heart and soul are the readers. We express our gratitude to the readers, and we thank everyone. Our debt to you can never be repaid.