Kanak Sarwar
# Kanak Sarwar

Dr. Kanak Sarwar (Bengali: ড.কনক সরওয়ার) is a well-known and respected journalist from Bangladesh. He worked for 19 years in a wide range of media and television networks in Bangladesh as a politics-focused journalist.

He has been exiled to the USA for his in-depth and outstanding journalism against the Awami League regime. He was imprisoned by the regime before going into exile.

Dr. Sarwar is continuing his journalism from exile through social media and an online news outlet. He is making efforts to restore Bangladesh's democracy, free speech, legal system, and human rights as well as demolishing authoritarian leadership.

## Family

Dr. Sarwar was born on November 27, 1977, in the southeast Bangladeshi district of Feni. S M Mostafa, his father, was a well-known lawyer in the Feni district. His mother, Shahana Akter, worked as a teacher. His parents both passed away in 2010 & 2011 respectively. He is married and has three kids.

## Education

Dr. Kanak Sarwar was raised in Feni and had his elementary and secondary education at Feni Government Pilot High School. He studied HSC (Higher Secondary) at Notre Dame College in Dhaka before enrolling at Dhaka University to pursue Honors and Masters in Bangla Literature. Afterward, in 2010, he was awarded a PhD for his folklore research from Dhaka University.

## Career

Dr. Kanak Sarwar first developed an interest in journalism while he was completing his higher secondary education at Notre Dame College. In 1995, while still a student at Dhaka University, he began his career in journalism by working for the newspaper Daily Ajker Kajoj. As a part of his training in journalism, he continued to work there as a contributing reporter up until 1997, covering a range of subjects. Then he got to work on the weekly periodical Shaptahik 2000. The Daily Janakantha then offered him a position as a staff correspondent. After the Daily Janakantha for almost two years (2005–2006), Dr. Sarwar started working as a senior staff journalist for Channel I in approximately 2005.

Dr. Kanak Sarwar joined Ekushey Television (ETV) in June 2007 after working for Channel I for around two years. Reporting by Kanak Sarwar at ETV mostly covered political issues, including elections, internal party conflict, political analysis, and daily political developments. During this period, he started putting on the street performance "Janater Katha" (translated as “Public Reaction”). Dr. Sarwar discussed Bangladeshi politics with ordinary folk during this program in public places. A random sampling of people's opinions about decisions, speeches, and actions by the government, opposition parties, and political elites. Dr. Sarwar would conclude each program with these closing remarks: "The general public has this view. We endorse what people believe because, in a democratic country, "the ordinary people always think extraordinary". With this, he aimed to boost democracy in Bangladesh. He argues that the general public has a right to communicate and that, frequently, they have more knowledge to contribute than the ruling class might think. Dr. Kanak Sarwar was the host of another program titled "Trinomul Ekushey Shanglap," which is translated as "Ekushey Grassroots Dialog." This talkshow was comparable to "Public Reaction," with the exception that Dr. Sarwar traveled outside of Dhaka to Bangladesh's more rural districts to welcome locals and local leadership, including local parliamentarians, politicians, and headmasters. These conversation sessions were conducted by him in public spaces.

Bangladesh was initially under emergency military control throughout Dr. Sarwar's tenure at ETV because of the electoral tensions that would ultimately result in the Awami League's return to power in 2009. Dr. Sarwar covered BNP and Awami League detainees at the time, including Begum Khaleda Zia and Shehik Hasina, who were held by the military-led administration. The army-backed administration often threatened him because of his reporting, ordering him to halt anylasis and reporting.

Dr. Sarwar focused his reporting on opposition parties, including the BNP, Jatiyo Party, Jamat-e-Islami as well as other parties, after the Awami League assumed office in 2009.

## Philosophical & Political Views

The Awami League administration of Bangladesh detained Kanak Sarwar on March 3rd, 2015, upon accusations of sedition. He was charged with broadcasting the live address of the opposition party's (BNP) second-highest official, Tareq Rahman. He was imprisoned for nine months in the Dhaka Central Jail after five days of police interrogation and remand.

Due to the threat to his life, he departed the country after receiving temporary bail from the high court. He is presently residing in New York. There he began his journalism career through a YouTube channel, founded the political news website rajnity.com, and carried on with his reporting in support of reestablishing democracy, freedom of speech and the rule of law. He has been target of the government of Bangladesh continuously. With the order from Bangladesh High Court, government has attempted to block his Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Before this step Bangladeshi government agencies puts 16 copyright strikes on his first YouTube channel kanaksarwarLIVE, he started a second channel under the name kanaksarwarNEWS.

His investigative journalism revealed many shocking truths, and the Bangladeshi authorities imprisoned his younger sister, a mother of three children who resides in Bangladesh, for six months in a terrible prison.

## Lawsuits

In November 2021, a cybercrime court in Bangladesh issued a confiscation order.

Three arrest warrants have been issued for Dr. Kanak Sarwar by several courts; one is for sedition and the other two are for violations of the controversial Digital Security Act.

## Published Works

The books listed below were written by Dr. Kanak Sarwar

**নারীর ক্ষমতায়ন প্রেক্ষাপট বাংলাদেশ (Narir Khamotaion | Prekshapot Bangladesh)**

A publication addressing Bangladeshi women's empowerment.

This book's topics include equal participation, feminism, paternity, and empowerment, as well as Bengali women in politics, women in the workforce, crime against women, and the law in relation to Bangladeshi women.

Language: Bengali. Page: 223. Publisher: Gainbatoriny. Published on: October 2002.

**গণতন্ত্র এবং অন্যান্য প্রসঙ্গ (Ganotantra Abong Annao Prashingo)**

A book on Bangladesh's democracy and effective government.

This book's contents include Democracy in Bangladesh's Political Parties, Issues with the Bangladesh Police Force, illegal weapons and explosives, and border issues.

Language: Bengali. Page: 200. Publisher: Nirbachita. Published on: February 2004.

**বাংলাদেশ বিষয়ক (Bangladesh Bishoyok)**

a brief review of Bangladesh's sovereignty, including its issues and future potential.

This book's topics include 30 years of victory, issues in the health sector, crises in education, trafficking in women and children, suicide after rape as a new form of protest, and lawlessness.

Language: Bengali. Page: 192. Publisher: Nirbachita. Published on: February 2004.

## External Links

* Rajnity
* kanaksarwarNEWS on YouTube
* Kanak Sarwar on Facebook
* Dr. Kanak Sarwar - ড. কনক সরওয়ার on Facebook
* kanaksarwarLIVE on YouTube
