C T Online Desk: The publisher and editor of Amar Desh newspaper, Mahmudur Rahman, announced on Friday that the daily will be back in circulation by December this year.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club on Friday, the journalist discussed various issues, including the looting of the newspaper’s printing press.
Mahmudur said: “By the end of December, I will bring Amar Desh back into your hands. Amar Desh will once again speak for the people. It will speak against Indian expansionism, against looters.”
“The only thing we ask from the government is that there should be no legal obstacles in restarting the paper,” he added.
He further stated: “The fascist Hasina government completely destroyed the printing press of Amar Desh. It will take time to install a new press, but meanwhile, conspiracies against the country have already begun. We need newspapers like Amar Desh to counter these conspiracies.”
Mahmudur added: “Amar Desh will stand outside corporate interests, outside any political party’s interests, and for the sovereignty of the country. It will stand for the people of this nation. That is why Amar Desh needs to restart as soon as possible.”
He said they have decided to print Amar Desh from two other presses.
Regarding plans to relaunch the newspaper, he said: “We have less than two and a half months left. Once we secure an office, I hope we can launch even earlier. Even if printed from another press, we need an office to prepare the material before printing.”
He added: “My guess is that my colleagues will be willing to fight with me for another year, if necessary, but right now, our struggle is to find an office. Setting up the office is the challenge.”
When asked by journalists about the losses incurred, Mahmudur Rahman said: “There has been a loss of Tk25 crore due to damage to the printing machinery, and another Tk10 crore for paper. In total, the damages, including the fire in the office, amount to at least Tk100 crore.”
