Tofazzal Hossain Manik Miah

Tofazzal Hossain, popularly known as Manik Miah ( – 1 June 1969), was a Pakistani Bengali journalist and politician. He served as the founding editor of The Daily Ittefaq. He wrote the editorial Rajnoitik Moncho ("The Political Stage"). Most of his newspaper's journalists were considered leftist, as Miah followed the pattern of Awami League. According to journalist and editor of Shongbad Bozlur Rahman, Awami activists followed his editorial more than any actual decision of a meeting. He was a close associate of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and a mentor to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Miah wrote his political columns in Bengali. He was equally prolific in his English renderings. Miah, who was popularly known for his powerful political column in The Daily Ittefaq (founded by Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani and Yar Mohammad Khan) under the pen-name 'Musafir', dedicated his entire life for the cause of emancipation of the people in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and establishing the democracy. Yar Mohammad Khan invited Miah, who was working at that time as a journalist, at Calcutta and made him the editor of The Daily Ittefaq.

Early life Hossain was born in 1911 to a Sunni Bengali family in the village of Bhandaria, then part of the Backergunge District in Eastern Bengal and Assam. His father, Moslehuddin Miah, was originally from Faridpur. Hossain attended Pirojpur High School upon passing his entrance examination and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brojomohun College in Barisal. Hossain converted the weekly Ittefaq into a daily in 1953. He helped in preventing the violence from spreading. The announcement of the six-point movement was supposed to be made by Shah Azizur Rahman as per the decision of Mujib himself. However, Miah felt that it should be Mujib rather than Shah Azizur Rahman who should make the announcement.

Hossain's son, Anwar Hossain Manju, served as the editor of the Ittefaq and chairman of the Ittefaq Group of Publications. The two brothers divided up the Ittefaq in 2010: Manju received the paper, while Mainul took the office building.

Death and legacy

Hossain died in 1969 at the age of 58 at Rawalpindi's Intercontinental Hotel, in Pakistan, of cardiac arrest. He was buried at the Azimpur graveyard in Dacca. His closest friend and companion at death was A.K. Rafiqul Hussain Khair Miah, who accompanied his dead body to Tejgaon Airport. At the airport, many leaders were present to receive Miah's body. After the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the present Manik Mia Avenue of Dhaka was named after him. Mahfuz Anam described Hossain as "Manik Miah's clarity of vision, his powerful articulation, and his ability to communicate with his readers and the public beyond has proven to be unmatched in journalism till date".

Books Pakistani Rajnitir Bish Bachhar (Twenty years of Pakistani Politics) Nirbachita Bhashan O Nibandha (Selected Speeches and Articles)