''Forum'' was a Bangladeshi English-language monthly
current affairs magazine. Founded in 1969 in the then
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Myanmar, wi ...
, by human rights activist
Hameeda Hossain and economist
Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan ( bn, রেহমান সোবহান; born 12 March 1935) is a Bangladeshi economist. Regarded as one of the country's top public thinkers, he is the founder of the Centre for Policy Dialogue. Sobhan is an icon of the Bangl ...
, the magazine became renowned for its outspoken criticism against the West Pakistani establishment, and advocacy of
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...
and economic reforms in the Pakistani union. During the political crisis and mass uprising in East Pakistan following the 1970 first democratic elections of Pakistan, Forum led the chorus of Bengali intellectuals expressing disillusionment with the Pakistani establishment and the inevitability of the breakup of Pakistan. The
Pakistan Army shut down the magazine on 26 March 1971, during the early hours of
Operation Searchlight
Operation Searchlight was the codename for a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army in an effort to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971. Pakistan retrospectively justified the opera ...
.
In 2006, ''
The Daily Star'', Bangladesh's largest circulating English daily newspaper, began re-publishing the magazine on a monthly basis. Shah Hussain Imam served as the executive editor of the magazine. The editorial board consisted of original ''Forum'' founders Hameeda Hossain and
Rehman Sobhan
Rehman Sobhan ( bn, রেহমান সোবহান; born 12 March 1935) is a Bangladeshi economist. Regarded as one of the country's top public thinkers, he is the founder of the Centre for Policy Dialogue. Sobhan is an icon of the Bangl ...
as well as
Mahfuz Anam
Mahfuz (or Mohammed) (Harari language, Harari: መሕፉዝ, ar, محفوظ; died July 1517) was a Harari people, Harari Garad, Emir of Harar and Governor of Zeila in the Adal Sultanate.
Life and reign
Mahfuz led raids into the provinces of Et ...
, editor and publisher of ''The Daily Star'',
Matiur Rahman, editor and publisher of
Prothom Alo
''The Daily Prothom Alo'' ( bn, প্রথম আলো) is a daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language. It is the largest circulated newspaper in Bangladesh. According to National Media Survey 2018, conducte ...
, and
Anisuzzaman
Anisuzzaman (18 February 1937 – 14 May 2020) was a Bangladeshi academic of Bengali literature.
He was an activist who took part in the Language Movement (1952), participated in Mass Uprising (1969), and took part in the Bangladesh Liberation ...
, a professor of Bengali at the
University of Dhaka
The University of Dhaka (also known as Dhaka University, or DU) is a public research university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the oldest university in Bangladesh. The university opened its doors to students on July 1st 1921. Currently i ...
. In April 2013 the ''Forum'' published its last issue.
The magazine attracted columnists and contributors from across
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...
, such as
Amartya Sen
Amartya Kumar Sen (; born 3 November 1933) is an Indian economist and philosopher, who since 1972 has taught and worked in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sen has made contributions to welfare economics, social choice theory, econom ...
,
Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali (; born 21 October 1943) is a Pakistani-British political activist, writer, journalist, historian, filmmaker, and public intellectual. He is a member of the editorial committee of the ''New Left Review'' and ''Sin Permiso'', and con ...
,
Kuldip Nayar
Kuldip Nayar (14 August 1923 – 23 August 2018) was an Indian journalist, syndicated columnist, human rights activist, author and former High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom noted for his long career as a left-wing political com ...
and
Ahmed Rashid
Ahmed Rashid (Urdu:; born 1948 in Pakistan) is a journalist and best-selling foreign policy author of several books about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia.
Life and career
Ahmed Rashid was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He attended Malv ...
.
References
External links
WebsiteOld copies of Forum
1969 establishments in East Pakistan
2013 disestablishments in Bangladesh
News magazines published in Asia
Magazines published in Bangladesh
Monthly magazines published in Bangladesh
Defunct magazines published in Bangladesh
English-language magazines
Magazines established in 1969
Magazines disestablished in 2013
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