STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The inconsistency in present-day society makes Abul Mansur Ahmad’s progressive journalism more relevant than ever, as his journalism was for the oppressed and focused on societal issues, said speakers at a seminar yesterday.

As a journalist, Abul Mansur Ahmad wrote against tyranny. In his other capacities -- as a politician and litterateur -- his core idea was to bring change in society, they said.

The media studies and journalism department of University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and Abul Mansur Ahmad Memorial Trust organised the seminar, titled “Abul Mansur Ahmad’s Relevance in Progressive Journalism in Bangladesh”, on the university’s Dhanmondi campus in the capital.

Addressing the seminar, Ekushey Padak-winning journalist and writer Abul Momen said considering the present situation of Bangladesh, it is an ideal time to write like Abul Mansur Ahmad.

Considering what fundamentalist groups are doing amid the presence of political hypocrisy, it is an ideal time to write satirical pieces now, he said.

Sadly, satirical pieces are almost absent in newspapers at present, he added.

As keynote speaker, writer and communication expert Khan Md Rabiul Alam said the “genre” of journalism in this part of the globe has been “very vibrant and strong”.

Such works could be found in the brand of journalism pursued by Abul Mansur Ahmad, he said.