বই আলোচনা: ফাগুন কিংবা মেঘসন্ধ্যা
বই আলোচনা: ফাগুন কিংবা মেঘসন্ধ্যা
প্রকাশ: ভোরের কাগজ
August 2020
জামাল উদ্দীন
|| সাংবাদিক ও লেখক ||
সাংবাদিকতা শুরু নব্বই দশকের শুরুতে। বর্তমানে দৈনিক ইত্তেফাকের বিশেষ প্রতিনিধি ও অর্থনৈতিক সম্পাদক হিসেবে কর্মরত। দেশের প্রথম শ্রেণীর বেশ কয়েকটি পত্রিকায় কাজ করার অভিজ্ঞতা। সাংবাদিকতার জন্য এফবিসিসিআই ও অর্থমন্ত্রণালয়ের সৌজন্যে দু’বার হয়েছেন ডিআরইউ সেরা রিপোর্ট বিজয়ী। ভ্রমণ করেছেন বেশ কিছু দেশ। যুক্তরাষ্ট্রের স্টেট ডিপার্টমেন্টের আমন্ত্রণে ভিজিটর্স লিডারশীপ প্রোগ্রামে অংশ নেন তিনি। ঢাকা বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় থেকে উচ্চতর ডিগ্রী অর্জনকারী জামাল উদ্দীনের রয়েছে বেসরকারী বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ে খন্ডকালীণ শিক্ষকতার অভিজ্ঞতাও।
বাংলাদেশে অর্থনৈতিক সাংবাদিকতার বিস্তৃতিকালের অন্যতম সৈনিক। সাংবাদিকতার পাশাপাশি করছেন লেখালেখির চর্র্চাও। গল্পকার হিসেবে ইতিমধ্যে সংশ্লিষ্ট মহলে সুনাম অর্জন।
জামাল উদ্দীনের লেখালেখিতে আত্মনিয়োগ ছোটবেলা থেকেই। লিটল ম্যাগাজিন আর দৈনিক পত্রিকার সাময়িকী পাতায় প্রকাশ নব্বই দশকের শুরুতেই। নিজস্ব লিখনশৈলী, চিন্তা-চেতনায় ব্যতিক্রম। স্বকীয়তা আর বিষয়Ñবৈচিত্র্যে ভরা গল্পের জন্য পাঠক সমাদৃত।
জাতীয় প্রেসক্লাব ও ঢাকা রিপোর্টার্স ইউনিটি কর্তৃক সদস্য লেখক সম্মাননা প্রাপ্ত। যুক্ত ছিলেন লিটল ম্যাগাজিন সম্পাদনা আর কথাসাহিত্য কেন্দ্রের সঙ্গে। দেশে জাতীয় পর্যায়ে প্রথম বারের মত অনুষ্ঠিত মুক্তিযুদ্ধের গল্প উৎসবের আহ্বায়ক ছিলেন। মঞ্চে গল্প উপস্থাপনার নতুন মাধ্যম ‘স্টোরি থিয়েটার’সহ গল্পের নানা ফর্ম নিয়েও কাজ করেছেন। প্রকাশিত গল্পগ্রন্থ তিনটি।
Jamal Uddin
Journalist & Author
Jamal Uddin, is a special correspondent cum Business & Economic Editor of the Daily Ittefaq.
As an Editor of Business and Economic page, he is responsible to lead business section like as writing and editing Business, Economics, Aviation & tourism, Development related news.
Jamal Uddin is famous for his field, Economic journalism in Bangladesh. He writes column about economy of Bangladesh in editorial page of Ittefaq, gets popularity among the readers.
He has won the Best Reporting Award 2006 and 2007 by Dhaka Reporters Unity, sponsored by Ministry of Finance and Planning, Bangladesh and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers Of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI). He also won REHAB Best reporter of The Year Award 2012.
He also holds various training fellowships in the field of Development and business reporting. He is a fellow member of U S International visitors program for journalists’ alumni.
Visited U S A as a guest of U S State department and participated various discussion forums of journalism, visited several newspapers office and TV stations. While the visiting America
He has successfully concluded Edward R. Murrow program for journalist academic curriculum at Annenberg school for communication of University Of Southern California, California and school for communication of Jackson state University, Mississippi.
An industry insider, Jamal started his career in early ‘90s and worked for different newspapers and news magazines.
An active member of professional organization, he was elected President (2016) and General Secretary (2011) of Dhaka Reporters Unity. He also served the Economic Reporters Forum, Bangladesh as an assistant general secretary and Finance Secretary of Bangladesh Aviation and Tourism Journalist Association. He is also a member of national press club, Dhaka Union of Journalist etc.
He is not only a journalist, but a writer. He writes short story and he is the author of three books published at Ekushey boimela 2004, 2013, 2016 by different publications house. As a designated discussant, he participates various TV talk shows on contemporary issues.
He has a vast knowledge about economics, social science; he obtained post graduate degree from University of Dhaka. In addition to Bengali, he speaks and writes in English. Born in Noakhali, Jamal lives in Dhaka with his parents.
mvsevw`KZv ïiæ beŸB `k‡Ki ïiæ‡Z| eZ©gv‡b ˆ`wbK B‡Ëdv‡Ki we‡kl cÖwZwbwa I A_©‰bwZK m¤úv`K wn‡m‡e Kg©iZ| †`‡ki cÖ_g †kÖYxi †ek K‡qKwU cwÎKvq KvR Kivi AwfÁZv| mvsevw`KZvi Rb¨ GdwewmwmAvB I A_©gš¿Yvj‡qi †mŠR‡b¨ `yÕevi n‡q‡Qb wWAviBD ‡miv wi‡cvU© weRqx| ågY K‡i‡Qb †ek wKQz †`k| hy³iv‡óªi †÷U wWcvU©‡g‡›Ui Avgš¿‡Y wfwRUm© wjWvikxc †cªvMÖv‡g Ask †bb wZwb| XvKv wek¦we`¨vjq †_‡K D”PZi wWMÖx AR©bKvix Rvgvj DÏx‡bi i‡q‡Q †emiKvix wek¦we`¨vj‡q LÛKvjxY wkÿKZvi AwfÁZvI|
evsjv‡`‡k A_©‰bwZK mvsevw`KZvi we¯Í…wZKv‡ji Ab¨Zg ‰mwbK| mvsevw`KZvi cvkvcvwk Ki‡Qb †jLv‡jwLi PP©©vI| MíKvi wn‡m‡e BwZg‡a¨ mswkøó gn‡j mybvg AR©b|
Rvgvj DÏx‡bi †jLv‡jwL‡Z AvZ¥wb‡qvM †QvU‡ejv †_‡KB| wjUj g¨vMvwRb Avi ˆ`wbK cwÎKvi mvgwqKx cvZvq cÖKvk beŸB `k‡Ki ïiæ‡ZB| wbR¯^ wjLb‰kjx, wPšÍv-‡PZbvq e¨wZµg| ¯^KxqZv Avi welqщewP‡Î¨ fiv M‡íi Rb¨ cvVK mgv`„Z|
RvZxq †cÖmK¬ve I XvKv wi‡cvU©vm© BDwbwU KZ©„K m`m¨ †jLK m¤§vbbv cÖvß| hy³ wQ‡jb wjUj g¨vMvwRb m¤úv`bv Avi K_vmvwnZ¨ †K‡›`ªi m‡½| †`‡k RvZxq ch©v‡q cÖ_g ev‡ii gZ AbywôZ gyw³hy‡×i Mí Drm‡ei AvnŸvqK wQ‡jb| g‡Â Mí Dc¯’vcbvi bZzb gva¨g Ô‡÷vwi w_‡qUviÕmn M‡íi bvbv dg© wb‡qI KvR K‡i‡Qb| cÖKvwkZ MíMÖš’ wZbwU|
Upcoming budget: need to think post-pandemic situatio
The world economy is on the edge with no immediate hope for rebound. International organizations like the World Bank, the IMF and the OECD have warned of a deeper recession, even worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s. For Bangladesh, our GDP growth could crash to 2 % this fiscal year.
This means the economy has already slowed down. Before the pandemic, the world economy also had experienced an economic crisis during 2007-08, which led to huge unemployment globally. Now, with many countries across the world enforcing lockdown, the situation has worsened and the misery of the people has compounded. Bangladesh is not an exception.
Now we see sluggish economic activities, export-import business has almost ground to a halt, but the post pandemic value chains will be some reconfiguration of production chains, which that means shortened in the future and production will be more localized.
So we must have a workforce full of productivity. And that can help build better future for the nation of 170 million So, if the acute disruptions to the lives of millions will continue, food and cash should be the immediate priority. The government announced some rescue packages, which are piecemeal and of which nearly the half constitutes old schemes anyway. These have done literally nothing to help the distressed people. If we take any decision, we must think about the post-pandemic situation.
Though the government announced nearly BDT 1 lac crore, it is not adequate considering the staggering needs. Some programs are the continuation of the existing ones. BDT 5,000 crore for the export sector might be effective, because it is for workers' salary. Other schemes such as soft loans may not be utilized properly. Bank owners are there. At the end of the day, bank directors, not the government, will decide on who will get credit and who will not. So, the needy people are unlikely to benefit from soft loans.
Though I welcome the stimulus packages and social protection programs, the success of these initiatives depends on a few factors: these must be ensured that businesses that are really affected and the vulnerable people receive the support. Here, targeting the vulnerable people is most important. Strong monitoring and evaluation system is required to make sure the selection process and implementation are done efficiently, transparently, supported by accountability.
Special attention must be paid to the most vulnerable sections of society, like as women, indigenous people, day laborers and landless people. These people are the most vulnerable, not just this time, but they are least-protected. Another important thing is to ensure adequate and continuous supply of essentials and other items of mass consumption at reasonable prices.
It is believed that this fight against the invisible enemy has clearly exposed the holes in our healthcare system. I recommend urgent efforts to put in place a universal healthcare system and this is opportune given the upcoming budget, which will be on the table on June 11, 2020.
What should be done in this time, I can see it in two ways: one is external and the other is internal measures. Externally, we will need more multilateralism, more aid or assistance from the development partners. To achieve this, we need to build better relationship and win their trust.
Internally, we need some policy measures like the overhaul of tax policy, more cash to the poor's, interest waiver for the fourth quarter. Raising the minimum tax threshold to BDT 10 lac, reducing corporate tax and taking strong and effective steps to curb corruption are among the domestic measures.
Other thing we need to realize that production will be more localized. Buyers' choice will be changed. They will ask for cheaper and more environment-friendly products. Non-agricultural activities must be promoted with a clear eye on their ecological sustainability and their capacity for employment generation. This means we've lay greater emphasis on `green' production and expanding the provision of care services. The diversification of products is a must.
The writer is the business and economic editor of
The Daily Ittefaq
The writer is the business and economic editor of
The Daily Ittefaq