DHAKA: While most of the world takes access to information for granted, for one community in Bangladesh’s remote south it is a blessing that comes in an unlikely form: a handwritten newspaper.
Andharmanik, named after a local river, is a bimonthly publication launched by Mohammed Hasan Parvez in West Sonatala village, in southern Bangladeshi's Patuakhali District, where national dailies rarely reach and most residents do not have the Internet.
Parvez, a brick kiln laborer, started the newspaper in May 2019 to tell the stories of success and failure of his community.
The 42-year-old hardly makes the ends meet, but that has not deterred him.
“Publishing a newspaper with modern printing technology, camera, computer, smartphones and other set-ups was an impossible task for me. At this moment, I thought to use my hands as I could write with a pen,” he told Arab News.
“I want to inspire people with good news that happened in their communities. (From the stories) people can also learn from the mistakes of their neighbors and save themselves from doing the same.”
A copy of the May 2021 issue of Andharmanik, a handwritten newspaper he published in West Sonatala, southern Bangladesh. (Photo courtesy: Mohammed Hasan Parvez)
Parvez goes around the village and surrounding areas to gather local news. He has a team of 15 volunteer reporters — farmers, fishermen and laborers — who keep him updated on what happens in their communities.
“I sit together with the team once a month and collect the news they have gathered,” he said. “I can’t pay anything for their services, but they are still very enthusiastic to be part of my handwritten newspaper.”
Each edition of Andharmanik has four pages.
Parvez starts with headlines, which he prints out in big fonts at a computer shop in a nearby market.
He then pastes the headlines on to A3-size sheets, fills in the content with a pen and make 300 copies on a Xerox machine.
He has so far published 11 issues, selling each copy for 12 US cents.
Parves estimates that each edition of Andharmanik is read by about 1,000 people in the village — a third of its population.
For the readers, the newspaper is a source of pride and joy.
“Andharmanik is a unique creation and pride of our village,” Saleh Uddin, a 33-year-old resident, told Arab News. “The newspaper speaks for all of us.”
Kabir Hossain, 42, who is a regular reader, said Parvez’s initiative has brought the community closer.
“Here people have very limited access to information as we don’t get national dailies regularly,” he said. “The handwritten newspaper made the bond among villagers even stronger, as they receive news about each other.”
Despite financial and technical limitations, the editor hopes one day he would get his newspaper officially registered.
“I dream for Andharmanik to continue forever, even when I’m no longer on Earth,” Parvez said. “It will continue serving mankind.”
