Ahmad, Mozaffar1
Ahmed, Mohiuddin1 (1944–2021) journalist, writer, editor, publisher, and founder of Bangladesh’s leading publishing house, The university press limited (UPL). The approach and thoughtfulness he has brought to the selection and presentation of books are not only unique in the publishing industry at the national level but also measurable by global standards.
Mohiuddin Ahmed was born on 2 December, 1944 in Parashuram of the Feni district. His father was a senior officer in the British Indian Postal Service. He spent his youth at his father’s workplace in Sargodha. From 1956 to 1960, he attended the PAF Public School for his secondary education. He completed his higher secondary education at Notre Dame College in Dhaka. After receiving a mass communication and journalism diploma from the University of Dhaka, he went to the Punjab University on a Pakistan Council scholarship. He received his MA in Journalism from there. He participated actively in the Punjab University’s student politics. He was elected General Secretary and, later, President of the University Central Students’ Union. Mohiuddin Ahmed was the first and only General Secretary of the Punjab University Students’ Union elected from among the Bengali students.
After finishing his studies, Mohiuddin Ahmed started his professional career in journalism. It is noted that his association with writing developed while he was a student at Notre Dame College. He served as the managing editor of the college magazine 'Blue and Gold'. After doing his MA from the Punjab University, Mohiuddin Ahmed joined Pakistan Times as an apprentice journalist. AD Chowdhury, the then editor of the Pakistan Times, was a teacher at Punjab University. He was impressed by Mohiuddin Ahmed’s work and success as a reporter and offered him to join the Department of Journalism at the Punjab University as an Assistant Lecturer.
Mohiuddin Ahmed gladly accepted this offer, and for almost four years, he taught journalism at the Punjab University. In 1969, he got an opportunity to do PhD with a scholarship at Stanford University, USA. He was appointed editor at Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan. Hence he could not enroll into Stanford University’s PhD program. Mohiuddin Ahmed served as the Executive Editor of Oxford University Press Pakistan until 1972. He had the chance to receive in-depth professional training in several areas of publishing during this time.
Mohiuddin Ahmed returned to Bangladesh in 1972 and served as Oxford University Press, Dhaka Branch’s Chief Executive Officer for two years. In 1974, when the Dhaka office was closed, Mohiuddin Ahmed was offered to join the Karachi branch as ‘Editor-at-Large’ or Roving Editor. But he did not accept the offer. Instead, he established his own publishing company ‘The University Press Limited’, in 1974 utilizing his acquired knowledge and experience.
The UPL mainly publishes text and academic research-based books in Bengali and English. Over nearly half a century, UPL has published more than eight hundred books written by Bangladeshi and foreign scholars. Not only the number but also the diversity of the subjects of books is noteworthy in this regard. Numerous research works on Bangladesh have been published in book form by UPL. It has published many books on various disciplines, including the war of liberation of Bangladesh, Administration, Politics, Economics, Language and Literature, Society and Culture, Contemporary World History, Science, International Relations, and World Literature. The UPL published not only basic also Bengali translations of many valuable books written in English. Mohiuddin Ahmad has placed the publishing sector of Bangladesh at a unique height by maintaining the standard of selection of the subject of book, editing, and publication. Through UPL, Mohiuddin Ahmed has introduced the works being done on Bangladesh by Bangladeshi authors and researchers to the world readerships. At the same time, he has presented the research work on Bangladesh in abroad to Bangladeshi readers.
One of the most important publications of the UPL is the ‘অসমাপ্ত আত্মজীবনী’ (The Unfinished Memoirs) of bangabandhu sheikh mujibur rahman. Mohiuddin Ahmed had published this book in 2012. In addition to publishing this unfinished autobiography in Bengali. Mohiuddin Ahmed also arranged to publish the book in multiple languages, including English and Urdu. With his initiative and efforts, the 'Unfinished Memories' was translated into English and published by Penguin Publishing India and Oxford University Press Pakistan in Urdu.
Mohiuddin Ahmed was not only a publisher but also a writer. He edited collections of contemporary stories, poems, and essays published by UPL. In addition, realizing the lack of accurate and adequate preservation of history in Bangladesh in the early 1990s, he published a series called ‘Road to Bangladesh’. Notable among the books written and edited by Mohiuddin Ahmed are বাংলাদেশে পুস্তক প্রকাশনা (Book Publishing in Bangladesh); ইউপিএল নির্বাচিত বাংলাদেশের কবিতা (২ খণ্ড, ১৯৯৯ ও ২০০১) [UPL Selected Poems of Bangladesh (Volume 2, 1999 and 2001)]; ইউপিএল সাহিত্য সংগ্রহ (২ খণ্ড, ২০০২ ও ২০০৩) [UPL Literature Collection (Volume 2, 2002 & 2003)]; ইউপিএল নির্বাচিত বাংলাদেশের প্রবন্ধ (৩ খণ্ড ১৯৯৯, ২০০১, ২০০২) [UPL Selected Essays on Bangladesh (Volume 3 1999, 2001, 2002)]; ইউপিএল নির্বাচিত বাংলাদেশের ছোটগল্প ২০০০ (UPL Selected Short Stories of Bangladesh 2000); ইউপিএল নির্বাচিত বাংলাদেশের কবিতা ২০০০ (UPL Selected Poems of Bangladesh 2000), etc. Through these books, Mohiuddin Ahmed has familiarized the readers with creative ideas as a writer. Mohiuddin Ahmed published a weekly newspaper called The Sunday Star in 1977-78. He was the editor of this newspaper. However, this weekly did not continue for long.
Mohiuddin Ahmed was an ideal and exemplary publisher in Bangladesh. He has shown a form of modern and quality publishing through his publishing house, UPL. Mohiuddin Ahmed is an example setter of how much the publishing world can shine in the realm of quality publications. He shaped publishing not only as a means of literature, culture, and entertainment but also as an instrument of building a knowledge-based, intellectual society.
Mohiuddin Ahmed has received numerous honors and awards in recognition of his works as a creative publisher and for elevating the publishing sector of Bangladesh to an international standard. In May 1988, Mohiuddin Ahmed was awarded a Cultural Doctorate in Publishing Management by the World University’s international secretariat at Benson, Arizona. Later, Bangladesh Academic and Creative Publishers’ Association bestowed upon him the title of Emeritus Publisher. Under the leadership of Mohiuddin Ahmed, UPL has won the National Text Book Center’s award for 16 times since 1981. In 1991, Mohiuddin Ahmed was awarded the gold medal for outstanding contribution to the publishing industry. Mohiuddin Ahmed was among the 17 publishers from around the world, who were invited to Norway by the country’s prime minister in recognition of their works on environmental issues. The Bangla Academy also elected him an Honorary Fellow.
He passed away on 22 June 2021 at the age of 77. [Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan]
