Introduction
Mithun Mostafiz is a Bangladeshi journalist, broadcaster, columnist, academic, international social development leader, and human rights, activist. Widely known Mithun Mostafiz, bears his name as Mostafizur Rahman in the academic arena. He initially started his career in journalism when he was a university student. As Rajshahi University Correspondent, he worked for the daily ‘Sonali Songbad’, published from North-Western Bangladesh. Thereafter, he worked with three prominent satellite television channels in different capacities in Bangladesh and anchored and directed current affairs shows like ‘Janatar Katha’, ‘Eai Shaptaher Biswa’, ‘Shoptaho Jure’, ‘Sports Plus’ and ‘Ajker Patrika’ on Ekushey Television. He also has anchored popular TV programs like ‘Reporters Diary’, ‘Business Bangladesh’, ‘Judhha Diner Bondhura’(Friends of Bangladesh’s Liberation War) on Boishakhi Television. Apart from this, he writes columns for Bangla as well as English newspapers. He is popularly known for his multi-tasking and multi-lingual capacities in the television industry, while he gains fame as a news anchor and correspondent. The broadcaster contributes to the international media outlets.
Early life, Education and Training
Mithun Mostafiz was born in Sirajganj on 1st July, 1983 to Dr. Md. Azizur Rahman and Begum Monoara Aziz. His father, Dr. Md. Azizur Rahman is a politician and social worker and his mother, Begum Monoara Aziz is a house maker. After completing primary, secondary, and higher secondary education from Sirajganj, he was graduated with Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) and Master of Social Science (MSS) in Social Work from Rajshahi University and attained a Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Management from Dhaka University. Later, he earned Master of Philosophy from Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Mithun was awarded Doctor of Philosophy in ethno cultural studies by the same institution in 2018. Broadcast Journalist, Mithun received training from the Thomson Reuters Foundation, United Kingdom; Radio Netherlands Training Centre- RNTC, The Netherlands. And he was also trained by CNN journalist, Ric Wasserman, Deutsche Welle journalist, Zimmerman and by the NDTV Profit’s creative team as well.
Career in media and academy
Mithun Mostafiz began his career in journalism in print media. Henceforth, he served for National Television Limited (RTV), Ekushey Television, and Boishakhi Television Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He played the role of a Staff Correspondent, Senior Correspondent, Special Correspondent, Assignment Editor, Consultant for News and Current Affairs and Senior News Anchor in those stations. He also contributes as Guest Correspondent for CTV, Canada. At the moment Mithun Mostafiz is working as Editor of the Bengali national newspaper the daily ‘Bangladesh Shomoy’.
Mithun reported on United Nations Affairs, International Meetings, Summits and Conferences, Foreign Affairs, Global Politics and Elections, National Politics, National & Local Elections, Parliamentary Affairs, Law and Court Affairs, Financial and Budgetary Issues, Environment and Disasters & various hard news events at home and abroad. He covered the 72nd United Nations General Assembly in 2017 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference- CPC in 2017, 136th Inter-Parliamentary Union- IPU Summit in 2017 USA Election in 2016 Indian Election in 2014, and BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit in 2016. [9] He covered the 16th Thimphu SAARC Summit in 2010 for Ekushey Television and 18th Kathmandu SAARC Summit in 2015 for Boishakhi Television [10] . In 2011, he covered the stories on politics, economy, and culture in the EU. Mithun Mostafiz covered the 9th and 10th General Election in Bangladesh and reported on almost all the City Corporation and Upazila Elections in the country country till 2018.
Mithun Mostafiz has interviewed many of the heads of state and government and has covered their press meets. He also has interviewed dozens of global figures who were notable friends of the ‘Liberation War of Bangladesh’ in 1971. Among those are distinguished British former Labor MP, Michale Burnes, Danish Researcher, Kirsten Westergaard, and American Film Maker, Leyar Levin. And among celebrities, he has interviewed American best-known supermodel, Christy Turlington Burns.
Internationally acclaimed Television Journalist Mithun Mostafiz turned an academic in 2018. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Department of Folklore Studies at Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. He is a Member of the Academic Council and of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the university. He is also Visiting Professor, Academic Advisor, and Ph.D. Research Supervisor of Noble International University-NIU (USA).
Notable Credit(s)
Jonotar Kotha (People’s Opinion) on Ekushey
Eai Shaptaher Biswa (World This Week)
Reporters Diary
Business Bangladesh
Notable Productions
Obak Bangladesh
Development Works Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Jean-Louis Tauran Special (talk on Inter-religious harmony) produced for Boishakhi Television
produced for Boishakhi Television
Bibliography
Books Published
— (2020) Khasi Women in Bangladesh, Kolkata: Som Publishing
— (2021) Khasi Community in Bangladesh, New Delhi: Crescent Publishing Corporation (printing process)
— (2021) A Collection of Stories on Khasi, New Delhi: Crescent Publishing Corporation (printing process)
Articles Published
— (2017) Disasters in Bangladesh: Mitigation and Management, Barishal University Journal, Part 1, Volume 4, Issue 1, ISSN 2411-247X.
— (2021) Learning to Live Together: ‘Why’ and ‘How’ in Global Historical Perceptive, Crescent Publishing Corporation: New Delhi, India, ISBN 978-93-87537-70-5.
Newspaper Columns
— (29 May, 2021), “Israel-Palestine conflict: then and now”
— (26 May, 2021), “ফিলিস্তিন-ইসরায়েল সংকট : সেই থেকে আজ”
— (16 Dec, 2020), “ক্ষুধা ও দারিদ্র্যমুক্ত সমৃদ্ধ বাংলাদেশ সময়ের ব্যাপার”
— (16 April, 2018), “বাঙালিয়ানার বৈশাখ, সেই থেকে আজ”
— (31 March, 2018), “আমাদের লজ্জা ও বিউটির কাছে ক্ষমা প্রার্থনা”
— (25 March, 2018), “মানব ইতিহাসের ভয়াল রাতের দুঃসহ স্মৃতি”
— (17 March, 2018), “বিশ্ব ইতিহাসের এক ক্ষণজন্ম মহাপুরুষ”
— (10 March, 2018), “বাঙালা ও বাঙালির আত্ম পরিচয়ের দিন”
Criticism
Mithun Mostafiz’s approach of journalism has been subject to criticism. He has been noted for his dogmatic reporting in support of the 1971 ‘War of Independence’ of Bangladesh. Sometimes he is accused of opinionated reporting in support of Bangladesh Awami League by uncritical genesis of the party’s success narratives, avoiding criticism of facts from the ruling party (AL), and bestowing political opponents in a negative light.
Death threats
Mithun Mostafiz works for and contributes to the international English language broadcasters covering various sensitive issues from Bangladesh. The journalist has many times been threatened to death for his professional reasons by some anonymous quarters especially for his firm stance against religious extremism and militancy wherein he was instructed to be brazenly muted from speaking anything to the western anti-Islamic international media against them. Moreover, Mostafiz was many how threatened to death for political reasons as well when he filed a complaint against Jatiya Oikya Front Chief Dr. Kamal Hossain over his angry reaction to a journalist’s question about Jamaat. Thereafter, he received death threat incessantly. Following this event, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) expressed grave concern over the threat to his life. And in a joint statement, top journalist leaders of the two organizations urged the government to ensure safety of the journalist and his family members.
The university teachers’ community and Islamic University Teachers’ Association also condemns the heinous attempt and expresses deep concern over the threat to their colleague’s life and demands his personal and family safety to the concerned authorities
Attacks on duty
Professionally Mostafiz is always against the corruption racket at various public and private sectors in Bangladesh. In March, 2016, he dauntlessly exposed country’s one of the largest business ventures, Abul Khayer group’s misdemeanor. The private enterprise grabbed hundred-year-old hilly water flow canal, ‘Ichhamoti Khal’ in Vatiary, Chittagong and annexed that huge land with its own industrial possession depriving thousands of families from enjoying natural environmental opportunities as opposed to that they remain inundated, in woes and sufferings in monsoon. While the journalist was exposing state property robbery of the group at day light and filming for his television report, the armed goons of the company were about to attack him. Henceforth, in a jiff, the locals and the law enforcers saved him from the spot. On 27th March, 2016, he was attacked by miscreants on duty while he along with his subordinate journos, and crew was taking footages of a terror gang’s misdemeanor hill excavation at dead of night infringing environmental law at Khulshi in Chittagong in the south-eastern Bangladesh. He narrowly escaped death in dark from the clutch of the prodigy
Global Repercussion of the Attack
On 30th March, 2016, Brussels based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemned the attacks on Mithun Mostafiz. Following the incident, the IFJ issued statement and demanded his safety and immediate arrest of the attackers and called on the local authorities to investigate the incident and bring those miscreants to trial. The IFJ in its statement said, “The security of journalists and media should be a priority of the authorities across Bangladesh.” Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF) also condemned the attacks on him.
Defamation Attempt
Dr. Mostafiz was a victim of odious defamatory campaign in February, 2019 through an absurd propaganda by some powerful corrupt quarters. In an organized way, reanimated by repugnant antagonism, the groups jumped on to him abruptly for no reasons aligning two other journos. The anonymous groups portrayed and spread defamatory, fictitious, untrue, baseless and fabricated stories from unnamed obsolete websites like cnnbangla, starbdnews24.com and sylhet times. According to those websites, along with two other journalists he was tied up to the fired Narsingdi Jubo Mahila League leader Shamima Noor Papia in fictitious and fabricated news without any information, evidence or authentication. Saucy tales were depicted, provocative and inflammatory narratives were spread in the form of fake news to defame, malign and ridicule him aligned with reputed senior journalists of Bangladesh, the Daily Ittefaq’s Political Editor, Farazi Ajmal Hossain and the BD Journal’s Special Correspondent, Shamim Siddiqee. After the cock-and-bull stories had taken to social media handles, regenerated and circulated geometrically through internet, he sought legal protection and lodged complaint with the police station. Following this ill attempt, journalist community of Bangladesh stood by him. Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalist- BFUJ and Dhaka Union of Journalist DUJ strongly condemned these heinous and defamatory efforts against him. The top journo organizations issued statement expressing their deep concerns over such attempts to tarnish images of established and reputed journalist and demanded concerned authorities to bring the culprits to book.
In January, 2019, the anonymous groups circulated offensive leaflets against him at Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh campus in winter closure to malign and defame him academically and socially. He sought measures from the university authority and he took legal initiatives by lodging a case in the ICT act with Islamic University police Station as well. Islamic University Teachers Association (IUTA) in a statement condemned this obnoxious and slanderous malfeasance and urged the authority to take rightful steps
Awards, honor and recognition
Journalist and broadcaster Mithun Mostafiz is recognized for his outstanding contribution to the global media, especially for his relentless reporting against terrorism, militancy, and religious extremism. He has been boldly expressing opinion in the global media sphere to divulge the sinister. Moreover, he contributes to the global media for greater public interest and well-being to help build stronger informed community through information service as a broadcaster. His great impulse ‘to keep the community informed’ has adorned him as to what he deserves.
Honored by the City of Paterson in New Jersey, USA in 2016 for ‘Outstanding Contribution to the International media through reporting against terrorism, militancy, and religious extremism’
Honored by the Councilman at Large, Mr. Alex Mendez of the City of Paterson, New Jersey, USA in 2016 for ‘Extraordinary Courage Journalism’
Honored by the ‘Pedro Rodriguez Foundation’ in New Jersey, USA in 2016 for ‘Keeping the Global Community Informed
Honored by NJ Bangla 24TV, New Jersey, USA
Fortnightly ‘ALFA Star Award’ in 2017 for ‘Extraordinary Contribution to Mass Media of Bangladesh’
Honored by Weekly Chalanbeel Barta
Honored by the Daily Gonomanusher Awaj- a national Bengali Newspaper of Bangladesh
Honored by National Human Rights Society-NHRS for ‘Distinctive Contribution to Human Rights through Journalism’
Honored by Jagannath University Journalists Association
Awarded and Honored by Boishakhi Television for ‘Best Reporting’
International Leadership
Vice President, International Consortium for Social Development
President, Bangladesh Chapter, United Nations Welfare Foundation- UNWF
President, International Network for Social and Environmental Sustainability –INSES
Member, United Nations Journalists Inter-Governmental Organization-UNJIGO
Member, Amnesty International, UK
Digital Media Advisor, International Consortium for Social Development in 2019
National Political Leadership
Spirited by the war of liberation, and adorned by the idealism of the architect of Bangladesh, Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mithun Mostafiz is an activist of the Awami League, Bangabandhu’s party, which led the War of Independence of Bangladesh in 1971 against the Pakistani occupation, oppression and subjugation, and attained glorious victory against the Pakistani military, and freed the nation, and brought independence for the Bengalis.
As a political correspondent covering Awami League affairs, Mithun Mostafiz had an esoteric inwardness with veteran politician and Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil. Jalil’s magnetic influence deeply augmented him into politics. Hence, initially, he was under the direct guidance of this politician around 2007. Later on, Mostafiz was effectively fostered by and attached with an educationist, cultural activist, and former relief and social welfare secretary of Awami League, Professor Nazma Rahman. He worked for the Central Sub-committee on relief and social welfare led by the late Professor Rahman. In 2018, he was made a Member of the Central Sub- committee on Agriculture and Cooperative Affairs. And in 2020, again he was given the same position in the same Central Sub-sommittee of Awami League led by Agriculture and Cooperative Affairs Secretary, Freedom Fighter Faridunnahar Lily. He sought nomination from Awami League in the 11th General Elections from the Parliamentary constituency-64 Sirajganj-3 (Tarash-Rayganj-Salanga). Thereafter, He was made a Member of AL’s 11th National Parliament Election Steering Sub-committee (Social, Cultural, and Sports
Personal life
Mithun Mostafiz is married to Dr. Rehana Parvin, a Bangladesh government physician. The couple has two children Raina Mehveen Rahman and Raisa Mehreen Rahman.
Association
Founder President, News Broadcasters Association of Bangladesh-NBA established in 2011.
(An organization of news presenters of private TV channels and radio stations)