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Published : 24 Oct 2022, 02:15 AM
Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi has promised more digital innovation in news content delivery from bdnews24.com celebrating 16 years in operation, thanking the readers and well-wishers for their support as the first Internet-only newsgathering operation continues to overcome obstacles.
The sacrifices made and the hard work put in by his colleagues have made it possible for Bangladesh's first standalone as-it-happens news portal to stand where it is now, Khalidi said at a gathering on Sunday, noting that some of them have been with bdnews24.com since the beginning.
“It’s not that we're always doing well. Sometimes we do very well, but at times we go through a lot of pain. Still, we try to stay afloat, to survive, to stay awake.
“To my colleagues, to our tens of millions of readers, to the well-wishers who support us, help us, protect us from troubles in perils – we are grateful to everyone of you.”
The theme of this year’s celebration is “News Always On”. “We stay awake for 24 hours. We had the first newsroom in the country that never sleeps,” Khalidi said.
“We gave Bangladesh many firsts and we want to introduce more new things. The problem is we often face obstacles.”
He cut a cake with colleagues and well-wishers at the bdnews24.com offices in Dhaka on the occasion. Some former colleagues also came to join the celebrations at an informal newsroom event.
Oct 23 is not only bdnews24.com’s anniversary, it is also the day when Bangladesh’s online news publishing began its journey with the first 24/7 as-it-happens services.
It had all begun in early 2005. Then known simply as BDNEWS, it had worked as a news agency for the other media outlets. It became the first media outlet to ever operate over the internet in Bangladesh. The other agencies were still using teleprinters to supply news.
In 2006, the new management led by Khalidi brought sweeping changes to the news publisher. The 24/7 journey began in a new form. bdnews24.com quickly grabbed the readers’ attention after starting the news service with this mantra: 'First of all, accurate news'. Even now, nearly 10 million followers of its Facebook page show that confidence of readers in the publisher.
The first bilingual news publisher of Bangladesh, bdnews24.com brought the first Bengali language website Kidz for young children. In collaboration with UNICEF, it also launched the first website of child journalists, Hello.
It started breaking news alerts via mobile phone SMS, which was the first of its kind in the country. bdnews24.com also pioneered Bangla news alerts via SMS.
Syed Nahas Pasha, a vice-president of Commonwealth Journalists Association, also joined the celebrations. The editor of the Janomot, a weekly published from Britain, and the chief editor of Curry Life magazine, Pasha has also been working for bdnews24.com for a long time.
He shed light on how people’s decision-making changes when they are 16. “Let’s unite and strengthen our organisation, even at the international level.”
In his long career in journalism in Britain, he said, he always recommended bdnews24.com to people because it is available in both Bangla and English.
“You should read bdnews24.com if you want to know more about Bangladesh - be it about the country’s politics or something else.”
Head of Newsroom Jahidul Kabir said, “These 16 years were sometimes sour, sometimes sweet and some other times they were spicy. The next years must have more tastes and experiences in store for us. We’re waiting for that.
“We dream of a beautiful future. May the future be sweet.”
Head of English News Arun Devnath stressed the need for plans for the next few decades, reminding all that the next 16 years were also considered. “When it comes to a news organisation, we worry about its future. What will happen in the next decade and in the decade after? Let’s wish ourselves a brighter future.”
News Editor Monirul Islam said bdnews24.com was like a “home”. “We’ve been protecting this, working to make it stronger. I hope we all stay like this.”
Special Assignments Editor Rajib Noor said he had been with bdnews24.com closely as a reader, which led him to join the organisation.
“I haven’t felt so much like being at home before.”
Mazhar Sircar, executive editor of kidz.bdnews24.com, said his journey at the digital news publisher has always been fun because he has been learning all the time.
Quazi Shahreen Huq, a former bdnews24.com journalist, said the organisation has always been like a home to her. “Visiting bdnews24.com feels like returning home as I had worked here when I was very young.”
