The dark side of Banglabazar writers and researchers

Zakir Ahmed Khan Kamal

During Ershad’s rule, the board exams are still a topic of discussion in the midst of various irregularities and opportunistic cheating. A controversial topic surrounding that time is that some people who came to middle age and claimed the credit of passing SSC, HSC and BA by cheating, who later tried to establish themselves as ‘writers’ and ‘researchers’ by compiling copies of various books on the subject. In particular, questions have been raised for a long time about some of the famous characters in the publishing world centered on the Bangla market in Dhaka: Are those who live in our immediate environment truly people of knowledge, or are they a kind of artificial intellectual class standing on fake certificates and lobbying?

There is no room to deny the fact that education is not subject to any age limit. If someone earns a degree in old age, it is undoubtedly commendable. But there are allegations that at that time, in some cases, there were cases of cheating, question leakage, fake registration or obtaining certificates on the recommendation of influential circles at the examination center. Later, using these certificates, some people presented themselves as researchers, historians or literary scholars in the publishing world, but the lack of originality and accuracy in their work is clear. It would not be wrong to call them copy-paste researchers.

Banglabazar has long been the heart of the country’s book publishing. Just as there is a tradition of genuine research and hard-working writing here, there is also a tendency to rush to achieve quick fame. There are allegations that some so-called authors are grabbing the market by copying from old books, passing off partial translations of foreign books as their own research, or distorting history. This ‘intellectual pretense’ built on fake and controversial credentials not only misleads the reader, but also damages the country’s intellectual environment.

The problem is not personal, but institutional.

If there are no minimum standards for manuscript review in publishing, it will be difficult to prevent the emergence of fake researchers. There is a need for strict academic review, the use of plagiarism detection technology, and ensuring the ethical responsibility of publishers. At the same time, readers must also be aware that the criteria for evaluation should be the quality of writing and the credibility of sources, not the name of the author.

Reputation built on fake credentials is bound to be fleeting. History ultimately gives way to truth. Therefore, it is the demand of the hour to create an environment for genuine research and honest writing by expelling such pushy and pushy people from the publishing arena in various parts of the country, including Banglabazar.

Zakir Ahmed Khan Kamal

Headmaster (retd) and columnist