There was a time, When the educated middle class dreamed of becoming upper class through trade, Then the printing business was involved. Even in our time the press business was seen as a business of the educated middle class. I knew that, From my uncle Professor Saroj Ball. As a student, I went with him to the first printing house in the eighties of the last century. The name of the press was Shanti Press. The press was at Teribazar Katapahar. Next was another press, Its name is Chandranath Press. Teribazar Katapahar was then known as Prespara. He made me sit there and see the proof, He taught it. The whole thing still baffles me. The printing presses were kind of dark and haunted. I do not know because of this, There was a saying then, If any kind of mistake was found after printing, it was said, Ghost of the printing press. It was difficult to find any in accurate spelling then.
I saw Shanti Press inside, A few old men in sleeved white gingham with ink on their hands–Jhuli Makha, Thick full-frame glasses sit on a small tool in front of his body, on the right, Many small bumps on the left side. English or Bengali letters are made upside down in those shells made of lead, There are signs. Each shell has a different type of letter or mark. The old men like Indira Tagore in the movie Panchali sitting on the tool are in front with another small tray in their hands.–the right–Bengali or English letters of lead from left shell, Place the symbol next to the word, Making sentences. I don’t understand how you remember which holes have letters or symbols. These people were called compositors. But they are not watching silently all the time, Many times he typed while talking. What a wonder their memory. In this way a text is made with many sentences and letters are placed in a wooden container called ‘Gali’. The reverse colors kept in the ‘galley’ are inked with a roller. A paper of newsprint is pressed in a special manner on those inked letters. Then the letters appeared on the newsprint paper. He proofreads the paper to see if the spelling is correct. If there is a mistake in the printed work, remove the wrong letter and put the correct letter. After seeing the proof, the letters arranged in the galley were set on the machine and printed on the paper. Printing was done by putting characters or letters. This is how letterpress or treadle machines worked.
He is the one who watches the group–I studied at Katapahar Shanti Press under my uncle Professor Saroj Kumar Ball during my student days. Shanti Press owner Ashok Chowdhury also helped me in this matter. The annual memorial of Bandhav Pathaghar was published by Shanti Press. Professor Saroj Kumar Ball was Bodhan–its editor. As a result, I saw the works from very close.
Then there was another type of press called offset press. In the mid-eighties of the last century, Shanti Press began to see printing on letterpress or treadle machines, I still have regular press contacts. I still go on press visits. But he–I find no parallels with the printing industry of the day. The printing presses of those days were not as shiny as today’s presses. Inside was dim light and dust–inky, Damp is a ghostly atmosphere. Therefore, if any mistake was found in the printed materials, it was called the ghost of the printing press. I have heard many stories from elders about the ghost of this printing house. A number of processes had to be followed to print images on a letterpress or treadle machine. A wooden block of the picture was made. Then the block compositor’s composed text was combined and printing was completed. There were many stories about this block like the ghost of the printing press. On 25th Baishakh or 22nd Shravan, a newspaper had placed Shahidullah’s photo block instead of Rabindranath’s photo block. The senior compositor made this mistake because both men had beards.
The first printing press appeared in Chittagong about 142 years ago. Sarachchandra Das, the editor of the Vivakar newspaper published in Calcutta in the late eighteenth century, and his brother Navinchandra Das in Jaynagar, Chittagong. (The then name of Jayanagar was Bhanghutana) Mr. Basir established the first printing press in the house of Ullah Chowdhury. Their aim was to publish a weekly magazine. Note that, The first fortnightly revision of the Brahmo Samaj was published from here. Kasishwar Gupta was the editor of Samshandi Pakshik. The name of the press was Sharad Yanth. Later, when the ownership changed, Sharad Yantra was renamed Annada Press, Later there was Govinda Press. Chandrasekhar Press in the early twentieth century, general press, Amendment Press, Sanatan Press, Chatteswari Press, Kohinoor Press, Minto Press, Hardinge Press, Panchjanya Press was established. A few days later, Suniti Press, Modern Printing Co. Ltd., Deen Press, The Art Press, Islamabad Press, Amir Press, Coronation Press, Alabia Press, Chittagong Printing and Publishing Co, Imperial Printing Press, Pravartak Press and Bengal Printing Works were established. The newspaper Panchjanya published by Panchjanya Press used to publish the news of Chittagong youth rebellion and non-cooperation movement very seriously. Panchjanya Patrika was said to be the mouthpiece of revolutionaries. Fortnightly Suniti was published from Suniti Press. Its editor was Khan Bahadur Aman Ali. Most of the printing presses mentioned in Dainik Azadi’s ‘Hajar Saran Chittagong’ collection were closed down except during the post-British period. ‘The Art Press’ is still serving as a centenary memorial. Nurul Alam Company, grandfather of Syed Mohammad Shafi, owner of ‘Boighar’, established ‘The Art Press’ in 1926. Currently Nurul Alam Company is managed by the fourth generation son of Syed Mohammad Shafi.
Many printing houses were established in Chittagong during Pakistan period, Many of these also continued in independent Bangladesh. I heard there was a women-run press called Badhabhi founded by Shahidzaya Mushtari Shafi during the Pakistan period. If it was burnt in the freedom struggle, it was not possible to start it again. Most of the printing houses in Chittagong are Andarkilla, Momin Road, was confined to Sirajdullah Road. It is one of the printing houses established in Pakistan period and independent Bangladesh: Kohinoor Electric Press, Islamia Litho & Printing Press, Crescent Press, Signet Press, Chandranath Press, Azadi Printers, Modern Press, Zymographics, Submission Press, Surma Printers, Codec Press, Credence Press, Aqaba Printrus, Golden Printers, Eden Press, Chamber Press, Orient Color, Lynette, Neo concept, Leading Printers, Bangladesh Printers, color line, border, Gudenberg. I can’t recall all the names now.
literature–Culture was such a link with political practices and movements that printing presses were. We also knew who worked in which press then. Ekush’s first poem ‘Kande Asani’ was published in Kohinoor Electric Press, I have come with a demand for hanging’ is printed. Daily Azadi’s founding editor Engineer Abdul Khalek risked his life by secretly printing the poem at night from Kohinoor Electric Press, giving a real shape to the people’s anger that day. The government of Pakistan banned and confiscated the booklet and ordered the closure of the Kohinoor Electric Press. Manager Dabir Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury was arrested and sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment. It remains a milestone in the history of printing in Bangladesh.
When the computer was connected with the printing press, Then came the end of the era of the letterpress or treadle machine. In the beginning, the work of composing was done on Apple Macintosh computers. It appeared in Bangladesh through Mustafa Jabbar. Back then, you had to enter the computer room with bare feet. From then on, composing and printing became separate institutions. At that time, Mustafa Jabbar’s Anand Printers would give free training to two people if they bought an Apple Macintosh computer. When Nandan was established, I took some free training from Nandan. Now the printing press has been modernized, But he–This emotion is no more. We can feel the expression of that passion and love in poet Mina Mansoor’s poem ‘Chale Jabo’. While leaving Chittagong, he also bid farewell to Nibedan Press’s Kalijhuli. In the last century, printing presses kept loved ones bound in this way.
the writer : Essay, fiction writer, dramatist
Source: dainikazadi.net
