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Veteran journalist,
educator and community organiser to continue leading the associationSyed Atik: Mohammad Abdul Matin, a
veteran journalist, educator and community organiser with more than three
decades of professional experience, has been re-elected president of the
Australia Bangladesh Journalists Association (ABJA), reaffirming his leadership
in promoting professional cooperation and strengthening ties among Bangladeshi
journalists and community members in Australia.He was re-elected at
the association’s annual general meeting and election held on Sunday, October
25, at the Red Rose Function Centre in Rockdale, Sydney. The meeting brought
together ABJA members, representatives of social, cultural and professional
organisations, politicians, academics, writers, journalists and senior
community leaders. A new 17-member executive committee was formed through the
election.The election commission
comprised Professor Dr Waliul Islam, Dr Sabrina Faruqi OAM and Professor Dr Mohammad
Mizanur Rahman.Matin currently serves
as Australia Country Editor of Bangladesh’s daily Kalbela, editor of the online
news outlet Bidesh-Bangla and chief executive officer of the Reliable College
of Nursing (RCN), a registered educational institution in Australia. His career
reflects a combination of journalism, education, professional development and community
service.He began his journalism
career with the Daily Azad in 1989 and joined the English-language daily The
Daily Star in 1991. During his career in Bangladesh, he covered major national
institutions and political developments, reporting from the Secretariat,
National Parliament, Prime Minister’s Office and Bangabhaban, among other
important centres of government and public affairs.After moving to
Australia, Matin continued his engagement with journalism and media. Alongside
his editorial responsibilities for Kalbela and Bidesh-Bangla, he has maintained
professional links with Australian media and creative industries. He is a
member of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and the Local and
Independent News Association (LINA). He also previously served as general
secretary of the Sydney Press and Media Council.His involvement with
ABJA spans more than a decade. Through the organisation, he has worked to
strengthen professional networking and cooperation among expatriate Bangladeshi
journalists, writers, poets, academics and media professionals. The association
also seeks to protect journalists’ professional dignity and interests while
expanding welfare activities for members.Beyond journalism,
Matin has built substantial experience in education and training. As chief
executive officer of RCN, he is involved in the education and training sector,
including matters concerning international students. He is also a Qualified
Education Agent Counsellor (QEAC) and a Justice of the Peace (JP) in New South
Wales.His professional
experience extends into technology and the private sector. He has been involved
in non-inventory procurement operations at Amazon in Australia and has
undertaken training related to robotics operations and maintenance. He received
a Universal Procedures Upskill Certificate from Amazon Robotics University.Matin’s contribution to
public service was also recognised during the COVID-19 pandemic. He received
the COVID Hero Award, presented by Federal Minister Tony Burke, and the
Pandemic Hero Award from the City of Canterbury-Bankstown Council for his
contributions during the public health crisis.His re-election comes
at a time when professional media networks and community organisations play an
important role in connecting expatriate Bangladeshis with their homeland and
helping them maintain cultural and professional links.With his experience
across journalism, education and community engagement, Matin is expected to
continue working to advance ABJA’s professional objectives and strengthen
cooperation among Bangladeshi media professionals in Australia.