Tête-à-tête with Farida Yasmin

Farida Yasmin is an eminent journalist and the first ever elected female General Secretary of National Press Club.
For the first time in 63 years, members of the National Press Club had a female journalist as the general secretary of the club. She was the former joint secretary of National Press Club.
Now she is eying to be the first female president of the prestigious organization of the Bangladesh journalists. The election of the press club will be held on December 31 and she is hopeful of being elected.
A first row journalist in Bangladesh, Yasmin's victory in the prestigious post in seen as the huge achievement of Bangladesh's women empowerment.
Yasmin was born in Raipura Upazila, Narsingdi. Her father Shakhawat Hossain Bhuiyan and mother is Jahanara Hossain. She was the student of Shibpur Girls High School, Narsingdi. She passed SSC exam from Shibpur Girls High School and HSC exam from Eden Mohila College. Yasmin completed Honours and Masters' from University of Dhaka.Farida's husband Naem Nizam is also a well-known journalist.
Yasmin was elected Joint secretary of the National Press Club of Bangladesh in 2011, and 2012. She is the joint secretary of South Asian Women's Media Forum and was a founding member of the forum.
In 2016, Yasmin was made the vice-president of Dhaka University Mass Communication and Journalism Alumni Association. She was elected General Secretary of Jatiya Press Club on January 1, 2017. She was re-elected to the post of General Secretary of the Jatiya Press Club on 18 December 2018.  She is the editor and publisher of womeneye24.com.
 US Congressman Grace Meng handed over the Congressional Special Certificate to her. This certificate has been issued by the Chairperson of Democratic Cocas Joshep Crowly. This is the rare honour for any Bangladeshi journalist.
On women empowerment, Jatiya Press Club General Secretary Farida Yasmin said that Bangladesh is now topping in South Asia in this regard.
She said, "From the childhood I had a practice to read newspaper because my father was strict about reading newspaper and get knowledge and getting news from home and abroad. Every day he took my examination of what I knew from the newspaper."
"After reading the newspaper continuously, the passion to be journalist is grown up and so I dreamed to be a journalist from the childhood. Therefore I completed my graduation on Mass Communication and Journalism department from Dhaka University."
"Human beings grow up in their family with their own culture. I had grown up with my father's instruction. My father influenced to write dairy from the childhood. My written practice began from the childhood."
 "My hobby was reading book, writing letter to radio to request for  favorite singer's song. That time I had pen friend also. So I had huge practice to write."
In 1989 Yasmin joined in Banglar Bani newspaper and started her professional career in journalism.
"My husband is also a renowned journalist and that's why he always is helpful for  for me and I also always try to give my best to maintain kids and family."
"But every woman has to maintain both family and career equally. Otherwise, it is difficult to stay on her job."
"I always maintain both family and career on equal measure.  And I was successful to do that and I was elected twice as general secretary with the huge vote from the press club members."
 "I want to say the other women journalists to come to press club and interact with male journalist. It is the common place and platform of interaction and connectivity."
"It is a sourcing place to collect information. At our press club we have media center, library and wifi zone."
"I want to invite the women journalist to join the mainstream journalism. They have to be organizational and do election."
"I want women journalists keep the position at press club."
This year she is nominated as president candidate in press club election. She is hopeful of her victory and create a record of being the first woman president in press club Bangladesh.
She wrote a book like research on language movement and women. She also wrote  an Interview Book 'Ujjal nari mukhomukhi' and  edited a book of ' Itihaser ainai Bangabondhu'.