Ashfaque Munier (September 24, 1959 - August 13, 2011),
[1] mainly known as
Mishuk Munier, was a world class media specialist from Bangladesh. The broadcast journalist with multiple talents,
[2] who was one of the three sons of the martyred intellectual Professor
Munier Chowdhury, died in a road crash at Ghior in Manikganj district, while he was serving as the
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and
Chief Editor of Satellite Television Channel
ATN News.
Late Mishuk Munier started struggling to uplift the quality of broadcast journalism more than a decade ago, when
electronic media
started to emerge in the country. As the Director (news operations) of
satellite television channel Ekushey Television (ETV), he played a
pioneering role in flourishing
broadcast journalism in
Bangladesh.
Mishuk Munier studied Mass Communication and Journalism in
Dhaka University.
After completing study, he joined the department as a teacher in 1989.
At the same time, he started to work for some internationally renowned
television channels like
BBC as a freelance cameraman. After serving in ETV from 1999 to 2002, Mishuk Munier left Bangladesh. Afterward, he worked for
BBC world service, WTN, ARD1,
Channel 4, CBC,
The Real News and Discovery Health in India, Afghanistan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada, before returning to Bangladesh for joining
ATN News. In international arena he was considered as a reputed camera director.
Mishuk Munier was the second son of martyred intellectual
Munier Chowdhury, who lost his life on December 14 of
Bangladesh Liberation War
in 1971. Bangladesh observes the day as intellectual killing day. Ahmed
Munier and Asif Munier are two brothers of Mishuk Munier. His mother's
name is Lily Chowdhury. Shuhrid Sebastien Munier, who is studying Mass
Communication abroad is the only son of Mishuk Munier and his wife
Monjuly Kazi.
Mishuk Munier was the chief
cinematographer of
Tareque Masud’s several films including the recent
Runway. He was also working for Masud's upcoming
movie Kagojer Phool. He extensively worked on conflict zones,
natural disasters and political upheavals. He worked for a number of
documentaries and films in different countries of the world.
He worked as the director of photography for
Return to Kandahar (2003) and also as the cinematographer of
Words of Freedom (1999).
Mishuk Munier and his long time pal prominent
film director Tareque Masud were killed in a tragic road accident on August 13, 2011 at Ghior of Manikganj
with three others including camera assistant Wasif and driver of their
microbus. The accident took place when the microbus carrying Mishuk
Munier and the production team of Tareque Masud collided with a bus
coming from the opposite direction. The team was returning from choosing
shooting spot for Tareque Masud’s next movie
Kagojer Phool in
Manikganj.
With the deaths of Mishuk Munier and Tareque Masud, the war crimes trial of Bangladesh has lost two key witnesses. They were also involved in compiling documents and audio-visual
evidences for the investigation agency of the international war crimes
tribunal of Bangladesh. Mishuk Munier was the only one among Munier
Chowdhury’s three children who saw his father being taken away by
collaborators of the Pakistani occupation force on December 14, 1971.
After formation of the International Crimes Tribunal in March 2010,
Mishuk Munier decided to narrate the tormenting experience to the
Tribunal.
