BTV producer passes off other’s work as his in Independence Day supplements

A Bangladesh Television (BTV) official has been accused of running a translation of a poem, done by another person, in his own name in Independence Day supplements.

BTV’s news section Director Nasir Ahmed is the writer of the poem ‘Atto Porichoy’, published in supplements of Bengali dailies on Thursday.

The translation of the poem, ‘Self Identity’, was published in English dailies naming BTV Executive Producer Zahidul Islam as the translator.

American International University of Bangladesh’s English department teacher Emon Fahim Shahed alleged it was he, not Zahidul, who translated the poem. 

He added that he was requested by the BTV producer to complete the task in exchange for being duly credited and remunerated.

bdnews24.com has email conversations of Shahed and Zahidul over the matter. 

Zahidul’s mobile phone was found off when contacted in the evening. He could not be reached on his office’s telephone as well.

Shahed shared a photo of the translated poem published in supplements on his Facebook page.

About the photo, he said in his wall: “A tragic, unbelievable intellectual adultery has been committed! I am sharing this with all in FB. Of course, I will take legal actions--but before that, it is for everyone to see and understand.” 

Shahed also said Zahidul in an email sent on Mar 14 “humbly requested" him to make a translation where "his name will be duly published" and “he will receive proper remuneration".

“He said that there was no other person available to translate this crucial poem & gave me minimum time to do the difficult job of poetry translation as it had to reach the concerned authorities by next morning,” Shahed’s post reads.

Shahed said he managed to complete the task by sacrificing his sleep and leaving aside exam scripts that needed checking. He also modified and edited the translation in the gap between lectures. 

He said Zahidul persistently contacted him over phone through the period to ensure that the work was being done. He then requested Shahed to email it to him.

“He said that he would send it to the Ministry for approval and would also make sure that I have been properly credited as the translator,” Shahed added.

He saw the supplements on the internet early on Thursday and found that the translation was published exactly as he had done it but had Zahidul’s name as the translator.

“Now you all suggest, what would you have done in such case?” he asked in his Facebook post.

The writer of the original work Nasir Ahmed said he had given Zahidul the duty to translate it but did not know that he had it done by some other person.

Nasir said he came to know about the matter when Shahed’s mother Hosne Ara Shahed told him about the matter in the morning.

“What a pity!” he exclaimed.

He said he had no conversation with Zahidul over the matter and will speak about the matter whenever he sees him.