Writers, teachers and activists said on Saturday that social change did not happen after the war of independence and that the fight for the change was still needed.
They made the remarks in a discussion at the Bazlur Rahman Smriti Padak-2024 awarding ceremony at the Liberation War Museum in Dhaka.
Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, Prothom Alo joint editor Sohrab Hasan, Professor of the department of mass communication and journalism Robayet Ferdous and researcher and Liberation War Museum trustee Mofidul Hoque spoke at the event.
Liberation War Museum trustee Sarwar Ali delivered the welcome speech and Trapa Majumder
read out the condolence message on the late jury board chairman and Dhaka University鈥檚 former vice-chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique.
Daily Deshrupantor鈥檚 photo editor Shahadat Parvez won the best reporting award 2024 in the print media category, while Ekattor Television鈥檚 head of news, Md Shafiqul Islam, received the award in the electronic media category.
The award is given to journalists for their reports on the war of independence.
Serajul Islam Choudhury said that journalism was not a safe profession in this capitalist world.
鈥楯ournalism is not a safe profession in Bangladesh. 200 journalists were killed in Gaza, but Arab countries were not protesting against this genocide,鈥� he said.
He said that social change was the main goal of the war of independence, but it did not happen.
He said that development activities occurred after the country鈥檚 independence, but poverty could not be eradicated.
鈥楨veryone is now busy with earning money, but we need to think about social unity and change,鈥� he said, and added that the scope of cultural activities had compressed gradually in the country.
He stressed the need for creating more cultural centers for conducting cultural activities to change the society.
Sarwar Ali said that the history of the war of independence was a powerful event in every Bangladeshi鈥檚 life, while journalists and media worked to 鈥榓ctivate the past鈥� and uphold the values of the liberation war.
The award started in 2009 in memory of The Daily Sangbad editor Bazlur Rahman.
