Editor for a day, Faria Mehjabeen
Faria Mehjabeen Khan entered the editor’s room at Prothom Alo. It was 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday and the editor Matiur Rahman rose up to greet the twelfth grader with a bouquet and a Prothom Alo ID card.
October 11 marks International Day of the Girl Child. To commemorate the occasion, Faria took over, albeit symbolically, as editor of the Bangla daily Prothom Alo on Thursday in a gesture to display girl power. Organised by Plan International, this symbolic programme highlighted women’s leadership and decision-making.
At the event arranged on the occasion, Matiur Rahman apprised Faria about Prothom Alo as well as the responsibilities of the editor. He said, “We will accept any decision you take as to what news will lead today, what heading should be used and any other instruction.”
Feature editor Shumana Sharmeen recalled how she had been made the daily’s token editor to commemorate International Women’s Day in 2006. She said that the biggest challenge in working for a newspaper was that plans could be suddenly changed at any moment.
Faria is the Dhaka representative of the National Children’s Taskforce. She aspires to work with children.
She said, “It was amazing to take on the responsibility as Prothom Alo’s editor. Everyone was so cooperative and helpful.” She asked for the page make-up copy to be sent to her in the night and said she would advise accordingly.
After a brief meeting in the editor’s room, Faria went to the news room, the feature section and the online floor. She discussed details with the journalists who showed her different tasks they had to perform.
At four in the afternoon, Faria attended the news management prep meeting. She was handed over a list of the news to appear in the next day’s paper. Deputy editor Lazzat Enab Mohsi explained various details of planning the news and how news placement was prioritised.
Managing editor Sajjad Sharif spoke at length on Prothom Alo’s women and children policy. Executive editor (digital) Selim Khan explained about how readers’ comments were published. Senior reporter Mansura Hossain explained about the women issues’ section Nari Mancha. Heads of various sections of Prothom Alo were present at the meeting.
Three documentary films made by Prothom Alo on preventing child marriage, a girls’ football team and a girl jockey were also screened on the occasion.
Plan International country director Orla Murphy, joining the event, said that the media could play a leading role in bringing youth to leadership.
Also present on the occasion were Plan International’s head of influencing Kashfia Firoz, Prothom Alo’s English web’s head of content Ayesha Kabir, assistant editor Firoz Chowdhury and others.