Former Editor of Bangladesh Pratidin and former CEO of News24, Naeem Nizam, has shared previously unknown details about the early days of the daily newspaper Amader Shomoy, including the circumstances surrounding its financial crisis, ownership changes, and a Tk 100 million investment.
In a Facebook post, Naeem Nizam said he once served as a director of Amader Shomoy while working as News Editor of ATN Bangla.
RelatedPost
According to him, shortly after the newspaper was launched, founder Naeemul Islam Khan faced a severe financial crisis. Naeemul allegedly approached him for help, saying the newspaper could not continue operations and that shutting it down so soon would be a matter of embarrassment.
To resolve the crisis, Naeem Nizam said he took Naeemul Islam Khan to meet Dr. Hannan Firoz, then Vice-Chancellor of Stamford University, and proposed running the newspaper jointly. Dr. Hannan Firoz agreed, leading to the formation of Amader Shomoy Limited.
Under the new arrangement, Dr. Hannan Firoz became Chairman, Naeemul Islam Khan was appointed Managing Director, and Naeem Nizam joined as a Director. The newspaper established its headquarters at Banglamotor, and, according to Naeem Nizam, Dr. Hannan Firoz invested Tk 100 million (10 crore) in the venture.
Naeem Nizam further claimed that complications emerged later when he learned that Naeemul Islam Khan had formed another company, Notun Dhara, under the name of Amader Shomoy. He said he was surprised and disappointed by the development.
He also stated that although the newspaper later published a front-page note expressing gratitude to Dr. Hannan Firoz and himself, Naeemul Islam Khan eventually sold Amader Shomoy to businessman Nur Ali for approximately Tk 200 million (20 crore).
Reflecting on his long career in the media industry and the criticism he sometimes faces, Naeem Nizam wrote that much of his professional life has been devoted to building media organizations. He said many people now earn their livelihoods through the institutions to which he contributed his time, effort, and expertise, adding that this remains his greatest source of satisfaction.
