Running after news: Journalists' Eid in Bangladesh

Along with law enforcers and others in emergency services, a handful of media workers pass the Eid day at work, disconnected from families, as they go after and publish or broadcast news.

Generally, those who work in the media get holidays in either Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Azha in Bangladesh.

The people in the television and radio stations, online news outlets and print newspapers share the Eid joy with colleagues at office or with people at assignments.

NTV Newsroom Editor Monazzil Riyad could not even think he would not go home during Eid, but now he gets the opportunity to return to his ancestral home in one Eid only.

"It was painful to accept at first. Now I have got used to it. I pass the Eid with colleagues, friends and seniors now," he told bdnews24.com on Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday.

SM Munna Miah, a reporter at the Daily Samakal, has been in Dhaka during most of the Eids for several years due to office work. He takes the Eid holidays after the festival and spend those with his family.

He covers news on amusement centres or festivities during the Eid.

"I worked throughout the day and also filed news for the online version. I'll take my wife out in the afternoon," he said.

Prothom Alo Staff Correspondent Kamol Zoha Khan spends the Eid day by covering the main congregation and then with co-workers at office.

Like Munna, he also had plans to spend the evening with his family.

Channel 24 Staff Correspondent Shamima Sultana finds joy in work during Eid.

She said she is now used to not having holidays during both Eids.

"I've informed the viewers about the festivities in the morning. I'll spend the afternoon with my family," she said.

"We, newspersons, find joy in work," she added.

Ramim Hasan, a senior correspondent at News 24, and Monirul Islam, a staff correspondent at Jamuna TV, said they spend one Eid with their families and the other with colleagues at their 'second home'.

"It may not feel like the same as home, but we share the joy of work," said Ramim.

Monirul added, "We are with the people during festivals, and in bad times as well. We sacrifice one of the Eid festivals to cater for the public demand for news.

"But we manage to share the Eid joy in our own way. Office may not our real family, but it isdefinitely the second home," he said.

It is the first Eid since Tanim Ahmed joined online newspaper Dhaka Times as a reporter in Dhaka. "We are sharing the Eid holidays," he told bdnews24.com while covering the news of the main Eid congregation.