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.