The première show of Ek Jonomey was held at Taj Mahal Restaurant on October 19.

'At this age when I look around, I don't find any of my contemporary artistes', said a nostalgic Abdullah Al Mamun in his speech. 'At the same time, I fear to attend such programmes thinking it could be my last one,' he said. 'Baba, a Sentimental Journey is a projection of my true beliefs and I am grateful that people appreciated my effort. I hope that my next venture Ek Jonomey will get the same accolade from the audience,' said Mamun.

Nawajesh Ali Khan, vice president of ATN Bangla, said, 'We have been working together for 40 years and while others have retired, Abdullah Al Mamun is still pursuing his creativity.'

Writer Pranab Bhatta said, 'We always remember Abdullah Al Mamun for his TV drama Shangshaptak, the film Shareng Bou, the first mega serial of the country Jowar Bhata and his brilliant participation in Bangladesh's theatre revolution.'

Imdadul Haq Milon reminisced how Abdullah Al Mamun brought him into scriptwriting. Artistes Kazi Azad, Shirin Bakul, Shafiq Sadequi and singer Subir Nandi also expressed their gratitude to Mamun.

After the discussion, the hundredth and last episode of the mega serial Baba was screened. At the beginning of the episode, artistes of the serial talked about their experiences while doing the programme. The serial has a tragic end.

The second show was the première of the new serial Ek Jonomey. Based on Abdullah Al Mamun's novel Gunda Pandar Baba, it is a sentimental depiction of the joys and sorrows of the family members of the protagonists. Abdullah Al Mamun, Ferdousi Majumder, Shirin Bakul, Tarin, Jitu Ahsan, Mir Sabbir and others act in this new serial.

Abdullah Al Mamun and Ferdousi Majumder, the protagonists, play two retired famous cultural artistes. Shirin Bakul's character is modelled on the traditional jatra-role of Bibek (conscience), who has the freedom to appear in any scene when the story needs an explanation.

The airing of al Ek Jonomey is a welcome break from a surfeit of mediocre soap operas. Hopefully, ATN Bangla's 30-minute slot dedicated to Abdullah Al Mamun, will bring back viewers to our own TV channels.