Anthony Mascarenhas was a renowned Pakistani journalist and author who made significant contributions to journalism through his investigative reporting. Writing an important and contentious article headlined “Genocide” for The Sunday Times of London during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War brought Anthony Mascarenhas fame on a global scale. This report served a vital purpose in educating the public about the situation in the region by exposing the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
Mascarenhas’ report was one of the first significant exposes of the events developing in East Pakistan, which finally led to the establishment of Bangladesh as an independent nation. His fearless reporting helped make the human rights abuses and military operations in the area more visible.
Early Life and Education
On July 14, 1928, Anthony Mascarenhas was born in British India into a Catholic family. Prior to coming to Pakistan in the wake of the 1947 partition, he spent his early childhood in India.
Career
Anthony Mascarenhas worked as an assistant editor at The Morning News (Karachi). He called Harold Evans of The Sunday Times after realising he couldn’t publish the article in Pakistan after gathering information on the atrocities done in Bangladesh. He evacuated his family to Britain prior to the release of his report in 1971. After that, he spent 14 years working for The Sunday Times. He thereafter worked as a freelance writer.
He received the International Publishing Company’s Special Award and the Granada’s Gerald Barry Award for lifelong accomplishment in journalism in 1972 for his coverage of the abuses of human rights during the Bangladesh Liberation War. It is said that his story “Genocide,” which appeared in The Sunday Times on June 13, 1971, exposed for the first time the scale of the Pakistan army’s brutal campaign to suppress its breakaway eastern province.
By compiling an official list of names, the Bangladeshi government honoured Mascarenhas’ assistance to the country during the 1971 Liberation War.
Later Life and Passing
After his groundbreaking reporting, Mascarenhas resumed his journalism career and worked as an editor for several magazines. His demise occurred on June 14, 1986.
Anthony Mascarenhas continues to be honoured and regarded as a pivotal figure in the history of journalism for his contributions to the world of journalism, particularly for his outstanding reporting during the Bangladesh Liberation War.