35 years ago in 1987, a revolutionary change was initiated in the Bengali printing and publishing industry with the publication of Bangla Newspapers by computer composing. A golden chapter of Bengali newspaper publishing since the early nineties is revealed through Bijoy Bangla software.
The Department of Posts and Telecommunications on Thursday released the commemorative postage stamps, opening envelopes, data cards and a special seal to commemorate this journey of publishing Bengali newspapers on computers. Posts and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar released a commemorative postage stamp worth ten taka and an opening envelope worth ten taka in the conference room of the Bangladesh Secretariat. A data card worth five tak and a special seal were released on the occasion.
In a function organized on this occasion, the minister said that postage stamps serve as historical monuments of a nation’s history, heritage and culture, eminent persons and events. He said, whether there is a letter writing day or not, there will be a need for postage stamps. The new generation should therefore be encouraged to collect postage stamps. Similarly, since it is a creative work, creative people educated in institutional education in drawing-design should be employed in the design of commemorative postage stamps, he said.
The initiator of Bengali language on computer mentioned that there is a huge demand for Bangladesh stamps in the world, especially among stamp collectors. Post and Telecommunication Minister highlighted the development of Bengali font in printing machine and said that although printing machine was invented in Germany in 1454, it came to Hooghly after 324 years by the hands of Panchanan Karmkar. The publication of the weekly Anandapatra was an incredible chapter in the history of Bengali after the difficult era of Bengali publication in the lead composed script. The Minister pointed out that it is not a big matter who is the inventor of this chapter, but the Department of Posts has fulfilled the right responsibility by publishing commemorative postage stamps so that it is not erased from the history line.
Mustafa Jabbar, editor of the country’s first digital news medium Anandapatra Bangla Sangbad Sanstha, said that the publication of weekly Anandapatra in Bengali font on computer was not only a historical milestone for the country’s printing and publishing industry, but it has been making a wonderful contribution to the development of newspapers in the country. This editor of weekly Anandapatra Bangla newspaper said in his response, ‘There can be no better work than working for people.’
Posts and Telecommunications Division Additional Secretary Md. Mahbub-ul Alam, Postal Department Director General Md. Haroon Ur Rashid and Posts and Telecommunications Division officials were present on the occasion.