Daily Sun renews pledge to uphold truth on 16th anniv

Showered with good wishes, flowers and cakes from distinguished personalities, readers, patrons, advertisers and well-wishers, the Daily Sun renewed its commitment to impartial journalism and reflecting the truth as it celebrated its 16th anniversary on Monday.

The popular new-generation national English-language broadsheet organised a day-long programme at its office in Bashundhara Residential Area in the capital to celebrate its achievements and look ahead to future endeavours.

Guests praised the newspaper’s commitment to educating, motivating and empowering readers and extended warm wishes to the Daily Sun family.

The Daily Sun marked its 16th anniversary on Saturday, but the celebration was held two days later.

A galaxy of personalities representing a wide spectrum of society, including dignitaries, foreign diplomats, academics, business leaders, senior journalists, artistes, celebrities and civil society representatives, attended the programme and conveyed their good wishes.

They praised the newspaper for its commitment to impartial and responsible journalism.

Addressing the programme as chief guest, Bashundhara Group Vice Chairman and Safwan Bashundhara Global (SBG) Chairman Safwan Sobhan congratulated the Daily Sun team on completing 16 years of what he described as a journey of ethical journalism in service to the nation.

Recalling the newspaper’s early days, he said the Daily Sun began in a small office provided in the basement of Bashundhara City Shopping Complex, with its masthead and other preparations completed in haste.

“Alhamdulillah, so far I am very proud of the current team of the Daily Sun as I have seen how the Daily Sun has grown. All of it is not just for editors. It’s a full team effort. And I am very proud of the whole team,” the SBG chairman said.

Safwan Sobhan said the country’s media landscape had become increasingly challenging, while people were hungry for news “every moment, every second”.

“Today the Daily Sun, we, are unveiling our app, which will make it more convenient for users or readers to get the exact news they are looking for and the notifications they want,” he said.

“With the great hope of sustainable growth, I congratulate the whole team of the Daily Sun and our friends and well-wishers,” he added.

Safwan Sobhan later launched the new Daily Sun app before cutting the anniversary cake alongside guests and Daily Sun journalists.

Welcoming the guests, Daily Sun Editor Md Rezaul Karim Lotus greeted the newspaper’s readers, contributors, well-wishers and colleagues.

“The rise of digital platforms, social media and instant communication has created unprecedented opportunities for journalism, while also placing greater responsibility on news organisations to distinguish fact from misinformation and context from noise,” he said.

“At the Daily Sun, we remain committed to journalism that is accurate, fair, responsible and relevant. We believe that good journalism should not merely report what happens; it should help readers understand why it matters,” he added.

Rezaul Karim Lotus said the Daily Sun would continue to strengthen its digital and multimedia journalism while preserving the editorial values that had guided the newspaper from the beginning.

“We will embrace new technologies and new forms of storytelling, but never at the expense of accuracy, ethics or editorial independence,” he said.

Diplomats attending the programme also praised the newspaper’s journalism and congratulated its staff on the occasion.

Nepalese Ambassador Ghanshyam Bhandari congratulated the entire team, saying an anniversary was not only an occasion to celebrate achievements but also an opportunity to assess progress and plan for the future.

“The Daily Sun explains why news matters rather than merely delivering information. It is a close partner of the Nepal Embassy in Dhaka. On this occasion I thank its journalists for their support,” he said.

Algerian Ambassador Abdelouahab Saidani said he regularly began his day by reading the Daily Sun.

“It is a prestigious media outlet. I am impressed by its content and wish the team continued success,” he said.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Dharmapala Weerakkody described the Daily Sun as a responsible newspaper providing accurate, reliable and timely reports.

“Its coverage of the country’s political, business, economic, sports and cultural developments is valuable to readers. On behalf of the Sri Lankan High Commission, I wish the newspaper and the Bashundhara media group continued success,” he said.

Indonesian Ambassador Listyowati congratulated the Daily Sun on completing 16 years, describing it as a significant milestone in the newspaper’s development.

“I appreciate the newspaper’s commitment to impartiality and its efforts to provide accurate, credible and relevant news. I wish the newspaper continued success,” she said.

First Secretary (Political, Press and Information) of the Indian High Commission Gokul Vimal Kala congratulated the newspaper’s journalists, particularly field reporters, the multimedia team, designers and employees working behind the scenes.

“I acknowledge their tireless efforts to ensure that this media organisation is working to meet the demands of the time. On this day, I would like to congratulate the entire team,” he said.

Ahmed Sayfuddin, Minister Counsellor at the Indonesian Embassy, said the Daily Sun served as an important source of information, helping readers better understand developments around the world.

Sofia Kutepova, attaché and press secretary at the Russian Embassy, praised the professionalism, enthusiasm and friendly approach of the Daily Sun team.

“My interactions with Daily Sun Editor Lotus and other colleagues have been positive,” she said. She expressed hope for greater cooperation among the newspaper, its editors and journalists, and the Bashundhara Group.

Daily Sun Publisher Maynal Hossain Chowdhury said the newspaper had overcome numerous challenges to complete 16 years of publication, attributing its journey to the dedication of its employees, commitment to quality journalism and efforts to ensure balanced news coverage.

“I must thank the Bashundhara Group chairman’s family and the group’s management for their continued backing that has helped the newspaper move forward,” he said.

He said technological advancements were reshaping the media landscape and that the Daily Sun must embrace new technologies, uphold high journalistic standards and remain committed to bringing the truth to readers to stay competitive.

Maynal Hossain Chowdhury also expressed gratitude to those who had supported the newspaper through advertisements, contributions and editorial cooperation.

Bashundhara Group Media Adviser Abdul Bari said the Daily Sun had earned a place in the hearts of English-language readers at home and abroad.

“It has been a remarkable journey for a newspaper. I congratulate the journalists and employees of the Daily Sun and wish the daily continued success,” he said.

Banglanews24.com Editor AKM Manjurul Haque congratulated the Daily Sun on completing what he described as 16 years of youth.

He praised the Bashundhara Group for supporting the newspaper, noting that media organisations often require substantial financial backing to sustain their operations.

He expressed hope that the support would continue, enabling the Daily Sun to grow further.

Before the conclusion of the first part of the ceremony, Daily Sun and T Sports Executive Director Tasvir Ul Islam, in his vote of thanks, said the newspaper had made significant progress over the past year by strengthening its digital team and winning a number of prestigious awards.

Referring to commitments made during the 15th anniversary celebration, he said the Daily Sun had worked to improve the quality of its journalism and build on those achievements over the past year.

“We pledge to make the newspaper more financially self-reliant by improving its content and marketing performance in the year to come,” he said.

Tasvir Ul Islam said the Daily Sun would remain committed to truthful and impartial reporting while pursuing sustainable growth.

Palestinian Ambassador Yousef Ramadan; Chief of the Political and News Section of the Embassy of China in Bangladesh Zhang Jing; Attaché of the Embassy of China in Bangladesh Wang Dawei; Second Secretary (Community Affairs and Public Diplomacy) of the High Commission of India in Bangladesh Malini Sreelatha; and Second Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia Sahid Nurkarim, among others, attended the programme.

The Daily Sun has consistently stood by the interests of Bangladesh and its people and says it remains committed to the promises it has made to its readers.

The newspaper seeks to delve deeply into events, report them courageously and present the facts impartially and objectively.

A concern of the country’s leading industrial conglomerate, Bashundhara Group, the Daily Sun began its journey on 24 October 2010 with a commitment to truthful and impartial journalism.