Haroon Habib

Haroon Habib (Bengali: হারুন হাবীব; born 1 January 1948) is a writer, journalist and columnist of Bangladesh who is well known for his bold independent writings. A powerful voice in journalism,^[1][2][3] creative writings and social activism for last three and half decades, he took part in the country's Liberation War in 1971 as a student guerrilla fighter and simultaneously worked as war correspondent^[4] of the Joy Bangla weekly and Swadhin Bangla Beter Kendra radio, the two official mouthpieces of the provisional Mujibnagar government, that led the country's independence war.

Early life

Habib, the only son of the middle class Bengali Muslim parents, was born 1 January 1948 at Dewanganj in Jamalpur, a northern Bangladesh district.^[4] He obtained early education from local Dewangonj Co-operative High School and Aseque Mahmud College, Jamalpur, and got his master's degree in Journalism from the University of Dhaka in 1974. He did post-graduate study at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), New Delhi.^[4][5]

Career

Habib is one of the few freedom fighters who joined journalism returning from the warfronts in early 1972 soon after the devastating war that turned the former eastern wing of Pakistan as Bangladesh. He first joined as a reporter in the Bangladesh Press International (BPI), a smaller news agency that began operation after the new country was born, and later joined Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the premier national news agency, run by the state.

Spanning over three decades, he served the wire service in various journalistic capacities and finally led the national news agency as its editor-in-chief and managing director.^[6] Habib is also the Dhaka correspondent of India's prestigious English daily The Hindu^[7] and Frontline magazine for over two decades. He contributed to TIME as the magazine's stringer based in Dhaka, and worked for nearly 10 years as Bangladesh correspondent of the Bengali Service of the German radio – Deutsche Welle. A popular columnist, he writes regular columns in the leading Bangladesh and regional newspapers. He now leads Journalism & Peace Foundation (JPF), an organisation he founded for making journalism peace oriented.

Literary work

A well-known short story writer, novelist and essayist, Habib authored many books, some of them are highly rated. His major literary works is primarily set on the theme of nation's struggle for secular identity and the events of the War of Liberation, in which 3 million people were killed and over three hundred thousand women raped by marauding Pakistan army and their local Islamist goons. For outstanding contribution to literature, he got 'Bangla Academy Literary Award' for 2013^[8] and the 'Katha Sahitya Kendra Award', among others.

Social activism

A leading civil society proponent, Habib is closely involved in social activism, particularly in the secular 'Pro-Liberation' campaign that he feels urgently to protect Bangladesh from the clutch of fanaticism and Islamist militancy. He is one of the leading voices in Bangladesh for the trial of the 'War Criminals' who perpetrated worst crimes against unarmed civilians as cohorts of the marauding Pakistan army during the nation's Liberation War in 1971. Currently, he is leading the Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF), a national platform of 1971 war veterans, for restoration of the country's secular identity and hold trial of the War Criminals as the forum's secretary general.

Family

A permanent resident in Dhaka, Habib is married to Asma Parveen Rochi and they have two children: Homayra Parveen Shukla and Tanvir Habib Shuvo. He has two sisters: Ferdowsy Kawser and G F Nurunnessa Shaheen.

Major works

Novels and short stories

Essays, reviews and memoirs

Plays and documentation

References