ওয়াশিংটন বাংলা রেডিও Washington Bangla Radio

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury - journalist, writer, poet, lyricist, political analyst and peace activist, author of Inside Madrassa, editor of Weekly Blitz and the entertainment tabloid Jomjomat, started his journalistic career in 1989 as the correspondent of TASS, the State news agency of the erstwhile Soviet Union. Later he was promoted to the position of Chief Correspondent of ITAR-TASS in 1990. During and since his days with ITAR-TASS, Choudhury has been writing vigorously on diversified domestic and international affairs in various Bangladesh and international newspapers and journals, including the Bangladesh Observer, The Morning Sun, The Bangladesh Times, The Financial Express, Weekly Evidence, Weekly Holiday, Weekly Citizen, Dainik Sangram, Dainik Dinkal, Dainik Banglar Bani, Monthly Nipun, The News (Pakistan), The Pakistan Observer, The Day After Day (India), Jerusalem Post, Canada Free Press, American Chronicle, Asian Tribune, Global Politician, Amrican Thinker, Countercurrent and many other newspapers and news websites around the world.

Choudhury's Crown Music and Video publishes music by Choudhury and other composers, lyricists and singers, and has carved out a niche in the Bangladeshi music industry.

In 1996, he left Itar-TASS news agency and worked with a number of leading newspapers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 1997, Choudhury established Bangladesh's first private Television channel named A-21 TV, which was shut down by the government.

On November 29, 2003, Choudhury was arrested at Zia International Airport in Dhaka on his way to Israel for attending a seminar organized by Hebrew Writer's Association. (In the interview, you will hear that it is illegal for Bangladeshi citizens to travel to Israel.) He was tortured, imprisoned and denied medical treatment in prison. The Government brought sedition, treason and blasphemy charges against him for confronting religious extremism, advocating inter-faith harmony, and for demanding relations between Dhaka and Jerusalem. He was released on April 30 2005, after imprisonment of seventeen months, after intervention of Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R - IL).  On his release, Choudhury reorganized the shut-down publication company and brought out Weekly Blitz and Weekly Jamjamat. The Weekly Blitz is now the most influential newspaper.

Choudhury is an Advisory Board Member of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, a group co-founded by Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi. PEN USA gave their Freedom to Write Award to Choudhury in 2005 in recognition of his commitment to courageous journalism under extreme adversity. The American Jewish Committee presented its Moral Courage Award to him in May 2006, but the Bangladesh government prevented him from visiting the United States to receive the honor. HRH Prince Albert of Monaco awarded the 2007 Monaco Media Award to Choudhury for outstanding courage and commitment in confronting the culture of religious hatred. Choudhury also received the Key to Englewood, New Jersey from Mayor Michael Wildes. Teaneck, New Jersey Mayor Elie Katz also gave him the certificate of moral courage in 2007 on behald of the City of Teaneck.

Dr Richard Benkin

The campaign to get the government of Bangladesh to drop all charges against Choudhury is being led by Dr. Richard Benkin. Dr. Benkin, like Choudhury, is an Advisory Board Member of Islam-Israel Fellowship. Dr. Benkin and Choudhury together formed Interfaith Strength to disseminate information about Choudhury's case. On September 6, 2005 Dr. Richard Benkin registered as a foreign agent with the United States Department of Justice, under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). According to the document filed with the US government, Dr. Benkin registered as a foreign agent with Lutfuzzaman Babar, former State Minister for Home Affairs of Bangladesh, as his principal, for a sum of $5000 per month to prepare and disseminate informational materials via radio or TV broadcasts, magazines or newspaper articles, letters or telegrams, press releases and the internet. He was hired to disseminate this information to public officials, civic groups or associations, legislators, newspapers and editors. Benkin's decision was made in response to initially positive actions by the Bangladeshi government with respect to Choudhury as well as human rights issues. When it became clear to him, however, that these moves by the BNP government were only perfunctory, he ceased working with the government after only one month. Benkin refers to Babar as one of many sources of information about the Choudhury case in a few newspaper article of that period. Although those who have been trying to cover up the Bangladeshi government's role in persecuting Choudhury (especially leftists related to the then-opposition Awami League, a left-center party) have tried to make much of Benkin's former relationship with the Bangladeshi government, they have failed to convince anyone that it has any bearing on the case.

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in the video interview are of the speakers, and not necessarily of Washington Bangla Radio. The facts stated in this post are taken from the cover of the book "Inside Madrassa" by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, and from the this Wikipedia web-site page. You are welcome to post any comments on this interview or post below (you will need to register to do so.)