To us he was "Boro Bhai" -Older brother- and that's how we treated him all our life. He was the head of the Khan family. Enayetullah Khan was the Editor of the Dhaka Courier and the UNB but late Amanullah Khan who passed away on the 12th of September 2024 was the "murubbi." That's how, we, Enayet's friends treated him as the head of the clan.
He was the Chairman of the Board of the UNB and also of Cosmos Publications which owns the Dhaka Courier and most other outfits of the Khan family. He was not the everyday boss but his presence was a benign shadow under which all could seek a pleasant shelter from working in the topsy turvy world of media management to return with renewed strength.
A brief on his professional life
Amanullah Khan bhai who was 80 when he passed away was the chairman of Cosmos Group of Companies. He left behind his wife, brothers and many admirers including me. A professional Chartered Accountant, he was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan/ Bangladesh since 1969. He was very keen on media and often wrote in the media on a variety of subjects. His interest is manifested by his membership in the Commonwealth Journalists Association.
"He attended numerous international conferences and seminars mainly in connection with the media organized by platforms such as the Commonwealth Press Union, Organization of Asiaa-Pacific News Agencies, AsiaNet, International Press Institute and Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, "says the UNB press release.
However, his other interests were wide as well and he was an active member of ADHUNIK (National Anti-smoking Organization) and Life Member of the Sandhani National Eye Donation Society. His interests were large and his life's impact was wider.
UNB and the formation days
When Enayet decided to go ahead with his news agency plan based on the principle of sustainable objective reporting, he also sought the advice of his elder brother who told him to go ahead. I remember those days -1987-88- when UNB was in the making and Enayet's spirits were higher than ever before.
Of the team, there was Hasan Ferrous as always myself, always with the UNB crowd but never fully part of the management as Enayet wanted. But in the planning days we were deeply involved. Those who joined the birthing team were Hasan Syed bhai, AP's bureau chief, Farid Hossain bhai of the same office and currently UNB's Editor and late AZM Haider bhai who was directly managing the agency.
Today, Farid Hossain bhai remains from the old team and to some extent myself but others have passed away. With Amanullah bhai's departure, it's not just a murubbi who has died but UNB has lost a very significant member of the helmsmen group who gave birth to the country's premier news agency.
Farewell boro bahi Amanaullah Khan, you will be remembered as long as UNB lives.