Native name রফিকুল ইসলাম মন্টু Language Bengali Ethnicity Bengali Education Master of Arts | Occupation Journalist, columnist Nationality Bangladeshi Years active 1980–present | |
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Born 1 February 1969 (age 48)
Barguna, Bangladesh ( 1969-02-01 ) | ||
Rafiqul islam montu a mission to pick up news from core rural areas
Rafiqul Islam Montu (Bengali: রফিকুল ইসলাম মন্টু; born 1 February 1969) is a pioneer of coastal journalism in Bangladesh, and in the world. He is an award-winning investigative journalist of Bangladesh. He is known to the Bangladesh as a coastal expert or coastal dictionary for very deep knowledge of coastal life. He visits the coastal area from kilometers to kilometers for making his investigative report. He is a special investigative writer for the Bangladeshi media. He is the first Bangladeshi journalist who personally setup a journalism institute for the school level student in about 64 secondary schools on the south coast of Bangladesh. His journalism institute named `Belabhumi”. He is an organizer for coastal journalist in Bangladesh. His interests include coastal Balt of Bangladesh (about 710 km), the impact of climate change to the coastal, human rights, miscarriages of justice, education, river erosion, river life, fishermen and miss development.
Contents
- Rafiqul islam montu a mission to pick up news from core rural areas
- Awards
- Books
- Researchs
- Fellowship
- Early life
- Career
- Journalism
- Working area and targeted people
- Montu as a pioneer of coastal jurnalism
- Coastal voice based student Walls Magazine Belabhumi
- Green coast programme for environment
- Coastal Journalist Network
- References
Awards
He was receive Unicef-Meena award 2015, PIB-A2i media award 2015, DRU Best reporting award 2015, DRU-Grameenphone best reporting award 2014, Canadian award for excellencies in Bangladeshi journalism 2010,
Unicef-Meena award 2006, Disaster Management best reporting award 2006 by the Digester Ministry of Bangladesh, PIB-Unicef award 2001, FPAB award-2000 ``The Minstrel Journalist (Charon Shangbadik)” award on 1998, Barguna District Government public library award 1988 and Jatya Tarun Sango Journalism Award 1988 etc.
Books
- The Life in Char Land (human rights & life style), 1997
- Cyclone Sidr (information & disaster risk), 2008
Researchs
- SIDR Affected people in Coastal Bangladesh, SSRC, 2010
- Livelihood of Coastal Fishermen Community, Government of Bangladesh, 2008
- Women UP Members & Grassroots Women Empowerment, Govt. of Bangladesh, 2004
- Impact Assessment of Total Literacy Movement (TLM) Barguna, Bangladesh.
- Impact Assessment of Rutine Maintenance Programme Barguna, Bangladesh.
- Impact Assessment of ORT Programme of Unicef Barguna, Bangladesh.
Fellowship
Reporting Fellowship from Centre for Sustainable Development (CFSD) in 1993
Early life
Montu was born in Barguna (a coastal district of Bangladesh) on 1 February 1969. He received Master of Arts degree. He is married and lives in capital city Dhaka. He has one daughter. His long-standing interests include Traveling and Photography on nature.
Career
Montu's first job was as a local reporter of Barguna district with the Weekly Noboavijan time out 1984. Then he worked The daily Noboavijan, daily desh, daily Janata, daily Bangladesh times and news agency UNB as a local correspondent. He was the Barguna Bureau chief of the daily Banglabazar Potrika. He was the founder news editor of first weekly Barguna kantho and daily ajker kantho when these were stublished. He then worked successively on the staffs of the daily Manabzamin, The Sangbad, The alokilto Bangladesh, The Daily samakal, The daily Kaler Kantho and The daily Prothom Alo for current affairs, parliament reporter, political reporter and investigative reporter. In 2013 he became a special correspondent on the Bangladeshi famous online news agency banglanews24com. For the basis of his proposal Bangladeshi news media Banglanews24 launched a special coast news category 'coast to coast'. After 2010 he made up an online news and information journal and archive on coastal of Bangladesh named `CoastalBangladesh”. On the `CoastalBangladesh’ he saved about 15000 information of south Bangladesh.
Journalism
Investigating and coastal people misery who fight against with natural climatic and social problem has been a frequent theme of Rafiqul Islam Montu's career. From his boyhood he faces many social problems. So he selected him as a journalist of helpless coastal people. He wrote many kinds of report and article of their life. Rofiqul Montu is a follower of old famous The Minstrel Journalist (Charon Shangbadik)” Monajatuddin. His theme also as like Monajatuddin.
Working area and targeted people
Bangladesh's 16 coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Feni, Lakshmipur, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalokati, Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Chandpur & Shariatpur. Most people who live in the areas are poor and unconscious. Their number is about 5 million. Montu`s working purpose are providing information to these poor and helpless people. For coverage their news he has to walk 710 kilometers of the coastline includes 15 districts 94 upazilas and 56 constituency’s areas. He has been practiced this journalism about 30 years. In the journalism history of Bangladesh even world he is the only coast-seeker journalist.
Montu as a pioneer of coastal jurnalism
In Bangladesh; country (local) journalism is known as Rural Journalism. Montu has been practicing this Development Journalism since 30 years. For this reason country journalism in this area are marked as Coastal Journalism. On the various issues of coast life he is working investigative reports, research and encouraging the local journalists to report on the coastal issues. As a result now a day’s an average of 200 reports are publishing on the national and local media in basis of coast. On the way of Montu`s role different kinds of media in Bangladesh launching a special section named coastal journalism.The issue like coastal journalism is discussing in a variety of media. On the other hand, around the world media are publishing entertainment-oriented news named “Coastal Journalism’’.But its a first report on the world-wide which is coastal life based Developing Journalism that create by Rafiqul Islam Montu is an initiative and actual Coastal Journalism.
Coastal voice based student Walls Magazine “Belabhumi”
Rafiqul Islam Montu, not being stop to collecting coastal news. In the future to express coast voice on the news media, he had made up a plan. According to his plan and making future reporter he has launched walls magazine “Belabhumi” in coastal 64 secondary educational institutions. The number is increasing every year. As a result of this program, a group of young journalists being built across the coast. Who have already started to write about the issue of their coast.
Green coast programme for environment
He walking the whole coast for collecting coastal news and promote environmental awareness among the students. In educational institutions he has launched a special programme called Green Coast (Sabuj Upakul). Under the programme, 7 hundred tree have planted last 2015 Yrs. Every year the number will increase. Near abhout 20 thousand coastal student attend this programme.
Coastal Journalist Network
Rafiqul Islam Montu builds up a network for coastal journalists across the coastal areas. This non-profit network named coastal Journalist Forum of Bangladesh (CJFB). Through the organization journalism and creativity are rearing. There are more than 5 hundred members of the forum. They are working on media as a local reporter of coast district and sub district of BD. Issue identification, discussion meeting, writing skills workshops, seminars, initiative training arrange by this Forum. Impact of Montu`s work The number of news is increasing on national and local media about coastal issue. The local public administration is endeavoring to solve the problem for the news of field data. The local and national journalist is interested to write coastal issue. Coastal information reaches to the reader through the coastal base online news portal “coastalbangladesh”. Coastal information archive is building. A strong working network is developing with coastal network.