Talking Points

Zunaed Rabbani

Photo: Prabir Das

From a debater to a rising master of ceremonies, Zunaed Rabbani has become an audience favourite over the last couple of years.

Starting out as a 'pronouncer' for the Daily Star Spelling Bee, Zunaed has hosted more than thirty programmes, some of them which aired on television. His yearly involvement in the popular television programmes such as Projonmo Agami and The Daily Star Spelling Bee have put him in the limelight. Recently he hosted the 3-day Grameenphone Blues and Jazz Festival.

Born and brought up in Dhaka, Zunaed had quite a strict upbringing. "It was mostly because my dad was in the army and he lived by the army code even after he had retired," he says. "On top of that, I went to Saint Joseph High School and Notre Dame College – two missionary schools well known for their discipline." His disciplined life helped him to excel in his academic life and also got him on the merit list of the Dhaka board. "Though they were strict, my parents allowed me to get involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, especially debating which now plays a huge role when it comes to my anchoring career."

Being heavily active in the debating scene, Zunaed Rabbani is familiar with the stage and the audience. "I was the president of North South University Debating Club (NSUCDC) when I was doing my bachelors there," he says. "It was after completing my Masters degree in London that I decided to walk into this public space of anchoring." A Facebook status from the Daily Star Spelling Bee team, searching for a 'pronouncer' took a turn in Zunaed's life.  "When I saw the status, I just wanted to give it a shot. I knew no one in the industry, and had gone pretty much 'out-of-sight, out-of-mind' because I was away," adds Zunaed.  "I am glad it worked out well, and from there, slowly, I started getting offers to anchor other shows, for TV and live performances."

Zunaed Rabbani has hosted or moderated many policy discussions and knowledge-sharing events, as well, within the development sector, along with events for corporations and foreign embassies. "I had a chance to moderate a policy discussion with Sajeeb Wazed Joy, ICT advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, in front of 200 young entrepreneurs and industry experts. It was aired live on TV and went on for more than an hour. Given the magnitude of the programme, and the background work I had to do, it was certainly a show I am proud of,' says the anchor.

Outside television, Zunaed thinks none of the programmes came close to the 3-day jazz and blues festival he hosted recently. "In one word, the experience was magical. I was trying to give a theatrical performance instead of reading out the script like a typical anchor. On the last day, I got so comfortable on the stage that I paused to take a bow from the audience and swayed to the tunes of jazz and blues like a performer," says Zunaed.

Other than anchoring, Zunaed is a full time private sector development practitioner. "I have worked in Grameenphone, IFC, UNDP and quite a few other places. Currently, I am working for a Washington-based organisation that manages a donor funded project in Bangladesh with an aim to provide quality agro-input to farmers," says Zunaed Rabbani.