The story leading up to the award

It was April when I received the phone call from INMA's head office. INMA -- International  News Media Association -- is the world's largest media organisation. Over 800 of the best media outlets from over a hundred countries are member of INMA. They called me with the particular request that I join the International Media Congress in New York. That gave me an inkling that this year Prothom Alo would be receiving a significant award.

The three-day conference began on 21 May at the prestigious New York Times Conference Center. And on 22 May, I arrived at the World Congress of Media held in the ballroom of the Edison Hotel in Manhattan, New York. I was accompanied by Prothom Alo’s general manager and head of marketing, Md Azwaj Khan

Around 9 PM, the award ceremony began. After a while, the announcement came from the stage for the “Best Idea to Encourage Reader Engagement” category (National Brand). Prothom Alo had been nominated in this category. We waited with a mix of anticipation and nervous excitement.

From the stage, it was announced that the third prize went to the renowned Norwegian media group Schibsted. The second prize went to Peru’s major newspaper, El Comercio Group. Then came the announcement for the first prize...

From the stage came the announcement: First prize goes to Prothom Alo of Bangladesh. The jury cited our courageous reporting during the July mass uprising, our success in engaging young readers, and the diverse initiatives that followed. I stepped onto the stage and accepted the award. Receiving recognition for bold initiatives is a joyous moment for Prothom Alo.

The ceremony continued. My eyes were riveted to the stage and the big screen, eager to see what innovative work was earning honours for the world’s leading newsrooms, insights that show us where we excel and where we still have room to improve.

Another news brand accolade was announced: “Best Use of an Event to Build a News Brand” category. Prothom Alo took third prize for our 'National Health Olympiad', an initiative we ran in partnership with icddr,b. First place went to the renowned Wall Street Journal in the United States, and second to India’s Hindustan Times.

In total, awards were presented in 20 categories. Among the major newspapers honoured this year were The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Daily Mail, the United Kingdom’s Financial Times, India’s The Times of India and The Hindu, Canada’s Toronto Star, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and others.

Prothom Alo has had success in this global competition before. For the past five years, it has participated in this prestigious event and, prior to this year, had won a total of 11 awards, including one first prize. But this year’s recognition surpasses all previous honours. Not only did Prothom Alo win a first prize, it also earned, for the very first time, the title of “Best in South Asia.”

At the very end, six especially prestigious awards were announced, recognising the best media initiatives from six regions of the world. The top outlets from Europe, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Asia-Pacific were each honoured.

As I sat at the table, a thought crossed my mind, "What if we were to win the best in South Asia award? How incredible would that be?" But there had been no indication. So I kept my eyes on the stage, waiting to hear who would be named South Asia’s best.

Then came a delightful and astonishing moment for us: The announcement - Prothom Alo is Best in South Asia! Thunderous applause filled the room. The stage lit up.

No Bangladeshi media outlet had ever won first prize in any category, let alone been named “Best in South Asia”, at the INMA Global Media Awards before this.

Prothom Alo received a top global award in one category and was also honoured overall as the Best in South Asia, but that alone isn’t what makes this recognition truly meaningful to us. What matters most is why we received it.

This award was given for our journalism on a specific issue: the unprecedented mass uprising in Bangladesh during July-August of last year. It is recognition of Prothom Alo’s role during those turbulent days -- of our commitment to publishing the truth with courage, absolute professionalism and our fearless pursuit of the truth.

For nearly 16 years, we had been under the grip of an authoritarian and autocratic rule led by Sheikh Hasina. During this period of intense repression and suppression, practicing journalism and publishing newspapers with normal democratic rights became extremely dangerous and difficult.

Prothom Alo, in particular, was targeted as the number one enemy by that authoritarian government. The prime minister herself, along with other government leaders, consistently launched vicious attacks against Prothom Alo both inside and outside the parliament.

Standing in parliament, Sheikh Hasina declared, "There's a well-known newspaper, very popular. Its name is Prothom Alo. But it lives in darkness. Prothom Alo is the enemy of Awami League, Prothom Alo is the enemy of democracy, Prothom Alo is the enemy of the people of this country.” (April 10, Monday, 2023)

One case after another was filed against Prothom Alo journalists. At one point, the number of cases against me alone exceeded sixty. There were various attempts to slash Prothom Alo’s circulation. Government institutions were ordered to stop subscribing to the paper. Prothom Alo journalists were barred from covering official events. Government advertisements had almost completely dried up.

Moreover, more than 49 major private-sector companies were instructed not to advertise in Prothom Alo. Then came intense pressure to remove the editor, and eventually, to change the ownership of the newspaper.
Our wish to be come out from under the immense pressure of this authoritarian steamroller merged with the aspirations of tens of millions of people across the country. In that moment, we made a clear decision: no matter how intense the pressure, we would do everything in our power to carry on telling the truth.

During those tumultuous days of protest, we reported the events in detail -- news, photos, and videos, both in print and on digital platforms. We also gathered and verified stories of the injured, the killed, and the martyred, highlighting their names and their families’ human stories with precision and care. One year later, the list of martyrs published by Prothom Alo during the July uprising has proven to be the most accurate of all.
These records remain available on our special website: july36.prothomalo.com.

People turned to Prothom Alo as the most reliable source of information during that time. Our photojournalists’ images from the protests went viral and inspired the demonstrators.

Our reports, photographs, and videos on the movement, the repression, the resistance, the shootings, the casualties, and the grief of families who lost loved ones gave people strength and courage.

People turned to both the print and online editions of Prothom Alo to remain informed and updated on the unfolding events. Our print circulation increased by around 150,000 copies, while prothomalo.com saw 310 million pageviews during the 36 days of the July uprising.

If the entire month of August is included, the number reached 350 million. And 43 per cent of the readers were youth. Our English portal drew 3.5 million readers, and our social media content reached 74 million.

Prothom Alo marked its 26th anniversary on 4 November 2024, with the 2024 mass uprising as the central theme of all its events. To honor the movement, we produced a special documentary titled "Bidrohe-Biplobe" (In Rebellion and Revolution), which has so far garnered over 16 million views. The documentary was also aired on 10 different TV channels.
Following the July uprising, Prothom Alo published several special supplements, and four of the anniversary supplements were dedicated entirely to the mass uprising. Regional supplements were also published from Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Khulna, focusing on the local impact of the movement.

Two more special documentaries were made and released, one on killings in Mohammadpur during the protests, and another on killings in Savar following Sheikh Hasina’s fall on August 5, 2024. These two films together received over 6 million views.

Based on the uprising, six special books were published by Prothoma. Another major initiative was the "July Uprising Exhibition", organised with support from the Shilpakala Academy.

The exhibition featured news, photos, and videos published by Prothom Alo during the movement, as well as memorials to the martyrs. Families of the martyrs were also present at the event, which drew large crowds.

A certain point needs to be especially emphasised. The July mass uprising drew a unique and intense interest from democracy-loving people all around the world and that interest continues down to this day.

A peaceful, unarmed mass movement led by the country’s student community spilled their blood on the streets and toppled an authoritarian and autocratic government. People across the globe watched this uprising with deep respect and want to learn more about it. Freedom-loving people everywhere look to this movement and uprising for inspiration.

We have reported on this movement and uprising with great care and dedication, and our readers have connected deeply with us through this coverage. This is why we have received this award.

We want to share this occasion, this celebration and the joy of this recognition with everyone --our readers, well-wishers, advertisers, and especially with you.

Most importantly, we remember all the martyrs of the July mass uprising, all the wounded fighters, and all the affected families.
We extend our heartfelt greetings to the leaders and organisers of the July uprising, and to the millions of people of Bangladesh.

A question naturally arises: How did Prothom Alo survive in the face of such brutal repression, persecution, and suppression by an authoritarian government? Since its first publication on 4 November 1998, over the course of 27 years, Prothom Alo has faced pressure and obstruction from nearly every government. It endured governmental pressure during the two terms of the BNP government, throughout the long rule of Awami League, and even under the caretaker government of 2006–2008.

Today, direct threats or pressure from the government may have abated, but other forces, both at home and abroad, continue their attacks. These include certain media outlets as well as various individuals and groups. Despite these continuous assaults, Prothom Alo’s commitment to independent journalism has remained steadfast. Protesters staged a disruptive sit-in in front of the Prothom Alo office for seven consecutive days. Amid all this adversity, one might ask: How does Prothom Alo endure? How does it continue to move forward?

Recently, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) conducted a survey on the media. According to their data, 57 per cent of newspaper readers in the country, across both print and online, read Prothom Alo. The true source of Prothom Alo’s strength lies in this vast community of readers. This love and trust from readers comes from our journalism-- factual, honest, courageous, independent, and non-partisan.

The founding chairman of Mediastar Ltd., Prothom Alo’s publishing company, Latifur Rahman, laid out three principles in the early days: 1. Prothom Alo must remain independent and non-partisan; 2. Prothom Alo must become the number one newspaper; and 3. Prothom Alo must be financially self-reliant. If a newspaper cannot sustain itself independently, it cannot uphold free and impartial journalism.

We have always strived to uphold these three principles. We strictly follow the country’s laws. The organisation along with its employees regularly pays taxes and VAT. Prothom Alo is among the highest taxpayers in Bangladesh’s media sector.

And that is why, despite innumerable attacks, hurdles and all sorts of repression, Prothom Alo never bows down. We continue to live by these three guiding principles and we always will. We will remain independent, we will remain factual, we will practice honest journalism with professionalism, and we will never bow to injustice.

Prothom Alo is not just the newspaper of its journalists and staff. Prothom Alo is the voice of millions of people in Bangladesh, a platform in which they have placed their trust. And we believe, as history proves, the people are never defeated.