Kamal Uddin Shabuj made BSS MD, Chief Editor
The government has appointed senior journalist Md Kamal Uddin Mozumder – better known as Kamal Uddin Shabuj – as new Managing Director and Chief Editor of the state-run news agency, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
The Ministry of Public Administration issued a gazette notification on Tuesday, April 7, announcing his appointment under the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha Act, 2018, on a contractual basis for a period of one year.
According to the notification, the appointment will take effect from the date of his joining and is subject to his relinquishing any employment or professional engagement with any other profession, business, or government, semi-government or private institution or organisation.
Shabuj made his debut in the journalism profession as a staff reporter of the now-defunct Daily News in 1985 and later joined news agency – United News of Bangladesh (UNB) – where he served from 1988 to 1991 before joining BSS.
He served BSS for 32 years of his 40-year-long journalistic career and retired from the national news agency as the news editor in 2023.
After his retirement from BSS, he joined the Dainik Desh Rupantor as its editor and until his new appointment, he was serving the daily as chief editor.
During his service in BSS, he also served in the reporting team with various assignments, including the task of covering former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia for some 10 years.
His assignments required him also to widely travel abroad as a political, diplomatic, economic, and parliament correspondent while he covered several global events.
The visits brought him in touch with global figures like Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, Rajiv Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Hu Jintao, and Wen Jiabao.
His career also earned him the scope of engagement with the Sultan of Brunei, the Amir of Qatar, and the monarchs and heads of state of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Shabuj was elected twice as President and General Secretary of the Jatiya Press Club.
A lifelong advocate for press freedom and democratic rights, he is a frequent commentator on television and at international seminars and earned a reputation as a mentor of new generation journalists through his professional lectures in seminars and symposiums.
Shabuj was born to a respected family of Sultan Ahmed Mozumder and Jebun Naher Begum in Banshpara village under Chhagalnaiya upazila in Feni district.
He obtained his graduation with Honours in English literature and language from the University of Chittagong, from where he also secured his master’s degree on the same discipline in 1984.
Source: BSS