Ashfaque Munier (September 24, 1959August 13, 2011; known as Mishuk Munier) was a Bangladeshi media specialist and broadcast journalist. He was known for his photography direction and for being the cofounder of the global news channel
The Real News Network
The Real News Network (TRNN) is an independent, nonprofit news organization based in Baltimore, MD that covers both national and international news.
History
TRNN was founded by documentary producer Paul Jay and Mishuk Munier in September 20 ...
. He was one of three sons of
Munier Chowdhury
Munier Choudhury (27 November 192514 December 1971) was a Bangladeshi educationist, playwright, literary critic and political dissident. He was a victim of the 1971 killing of Bengali intellectuals, mass killing of Bangladeshi intellectuals in 1 ...
. Mishuk served as the
chief executive officer
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
and
chief editor
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
of satellite TV channel
ATN News
ATN News ( bn, এটিএন নিউজ) is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable news-oriented television channel. Beginning operations on 7 June 2010, it is the first contemporary news channel in Bangladesh. It is a sister te ...
. He died in a road accident, along with
Tareque Masud
Tareque Masud (6 December 1956 – 13 August 2011) was a Bangladeshi independent film director, film producer, screenwriter and lyricist. He first found success with the films ''Muktir Gaan'' (1995) and ''Matir Moina'' (2002), for which he won thr ...
, on August 13, 2011. He was awarded
Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...
for his contribution to journalism in 2012 by the Bangladeshi government.
Career
Munier studied mass communication and journalism at
Dhaka University
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 ...
. After completing his studies, he joined the faculty as a part-time lecturer in 1989. At the same time, he started to work for
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
as a freelance photographer. In 1999, Munier took a job as director of news operations of satellite TV channel
Ekushey Television
Ekushey Television ( bn, একুশে টেলিভিশন; , in reference to 21 February), also known by its acronym ETV, is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language privately owned satellite and cable television channel owned by S. Alam Group of ...
, playing a key role in broadcast journalism in Bangladesh. In 2002, he emigrated to Canada, where he worked for
The Real News
The Real News Network (TRNN) is an independent, nonprofit news organization based in Baltimore, MD that covers both national and international news.
History
TRNN was founded by documentary producer Paul Jay and Mishuk Munier in September 20 ...
. He also contributed for BBC, WTN, ARD1,
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, CBC, and Discovery Health. In November 2010, he returned to Bangladesh to act as CEO of
ATN News
ATN News ( bn, এটিএন নিউজ) is a Bangladeshi Bengali-language satellite and cable news-oriented television channel. Beginning operations on 7 June 2010, it is the first contemporary news channel in Bangladesh. It is a sister te ...
.
Family
Munier was the second son of Munier Chowdhury, who lost his life on December 14 during the 1971
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
.
Works
Munier worked as a cinematographer on many of Tarque Masud's films. He was the chief cinematographer of Tareque Masud's ''Runway'' and was working on ''Kagojer Phool'' when he died. He extensively worked on conflict zones, natural disasters and political upheavals. He worked as the director of photography for ''Return to Kandahar'' (2003) and also as the cinematographer of ''Words of Freedom'' (1999).
Death
Munier and Tareque Masud died on a road accident on August 13, 2011, at Ghior of
Manikganj
Manikganj is a district situated in Dhaka Division, Bangladesh. Manikganj is one of the green and pollution free towns in Bangladesh. The recent urbanization and highway built joining Dhaka and Shingair Upazilla has given it an outstanding road ...
with three others including camera assistant Wasif and the driver. The accident took place when the microbus collided with another bus coming from the opposite direction. The team was returning from location scouting for Masud's next movie, ''Kagojer Phool'', in Manikganj.
With Munier's death, the
International War Crimes Tribunal
The Russell Tribunal, also known as the International War Crimes Tribunal, Russell–Sartre Tribunal, or Stockholm Tribunal, was a private People's Tribunal organised in 1966 by Bertrand Russell, British philosopher and Nobel Prize winner, and ...
lost a key witness,
as he had been involved in compiling documents and audio-visual evidence for the investigation agency of the international war crimes tribunal of Bangladesh. Mishuk and his uncle, Shamser Choudhury, were the only two witnesses who saw his father Munier Choudhury being taken away by collaborators of the Pakistani occupation force on December 14, 1971. Mishuk was to be a witness for the International Crimes Tribunal formed in March 2010.
References
External links
Burial of Journalist 'Mishuk Munier' - Bangladesh2 key witnesses lost for Liberation War crimes tribunal in Bangladesh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munier, Ashfaque
1959 births
2011 deaths
Bangladeshi journalists
Road incident deaths in Bangladesh
Recipients of the Ekushey Padak
Burials at Banani Graveyard
People from Manikganj District