A doctor in a white coat is not supposed to sound like a sports commentator. Yet here he is: calm, sharp, and oddly energetic - blending medicine, media, and marathon stories in one breath. “How do you fit all of this in one life?” I ask. He smiles. “I never stayed in one lane,” he replies. And that single line explains a career that refuses to sit still.
He starts from the beginning. A medical student first. A doctor second. A storyteller always. He completed his graduation in medicine. Later came higher studies in MPH and MPhil. His focus stayed on nutrition and public health. After post-graduation, he joined Shikdar Medical College. He worked in community medicine. In 2013, he became head of department and professor.
From 2015, he moved into public health consultancy. His focus stayed clear: stop disease before it starts. “I work on prevention,” he says. “Not just treatment.” His work covers non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obesity. He also works on AIDS prevention and drowning prevention. He saw one truth early. Hospitals fill up too fast. But lifestyle changes move too slowly. So he pushed for awareness. Not just medicine. Movement. Behavior change. Real-life habits.
Here’s a surprising twist in his story. He did not start in the media after medicine. He started before it. Back in 1988, as an intermediate student, he came to Dhaka with his father. He joined a course in sports commentary, journalism, and presentation. “I passed that course,” he says. “Then I passed a TV audition.” By 1999, he was on Bangladesh Television.
Picture: Dr. Anupam Hossain.
His first big match commentary came during a packed stadium game. He still remembers the chaos and noise. “People were outside the stadium too,” he recalls. “Not just inside.” Soon, he became a regular voice on BTV sports programs. He worked with known names like Rafiq Aziz Khan and Khuda Baksh Mridha.
At that time, BTV was the only major channel. Sports content was limited. He worked on a program called “Khela Jagat.” It was recorded in a studio format. But he was not satisfied with the studio walls. “I wanted sports outside the studio,” he says. So he traveled across Bangladesh for nearly 19 years. He visited hundreds of districts and sub-districts. He looked for stories everywhere. Local players. Small events. Hidden talent. “Seeing is believing,” he says with a smile.
He interviewed global sports figures, too. FIFA leaders. ICC officials. Famous players like Imran Khan and Sunil Gavaskar. He calls it the best phase of his life.
But politics entered the studio too. He felt pressured after the government changed. Media roles shifted often. “It became painful,” he says. In 2007, he moved to private channels like ATN Bangla. There, he launched a bold idea: “Vision 2020.” He asked one big question: Can Bangladesh win Olympic medals by 2020? Or reach cricket finals? Or break into the top ranks in Asia? Every day, he hosted discussions with experts, players, and officials. It ran for 14 years.
Picture: Dr. Anupam Hossain.
Then came another shift. He stepped back from the media after political complications. But he did not leave sports. Instead, he changed direction again. He joined sports committees, including the Bangladesh Cricket Board. He worked in medical, media, and development roles.
Then came a new idea: sports science and sports tourism. “People run teams,” he says. “But few understand sports science.” He began promoting sports psychology and sports physiology. He wanted structured knowledge in sports.
He also trained the next generation. “I created 100 sports journalists and commentators,” he says proudly. “They are everywhere in sports media now.” Then came his strongest social mission.
In 2011, during the Cricket World Cup, he met many foreign guests. He noticed something painful. Street children stood out to them more than stadiums. That moment stayed with him.
Picture: Dr. Anupam Hossain.
So he created “School of Life.” A small school for street and underprivileged children. It started with just 25 children. “One school. One goal,” he says. No expansion mindset. No overcrowding. The plan is simple: take them from class one to twelve. Then prepare them for life skills and jobs. “We don’t want numbers,” he says. “We want impact.” Why only 25 kids? I ask. “Because chaos kills care,” he replies. “We don’t want that.”
He divides his day into three parts. Work, social duty, and family. “Family gives peace,” he says. “Social work gives super peace.”
Picture: Dr. Anupam Hossain.
Then comes another movement. He launches “Let’s Walk.” It begins from his medical belief. Most diseases today are lifestyle-based. “Why do we wait for illness?” he asks. He started walking by himself. 6 to 8 kilometers daily. Sometimes more.
Then he organized events. Walkathons in Dhaka. Short runs. 4 to 5 kilometers. Easy access for all. He also expanded outside Dhaka. Universities. Medical colleges. Community spaces. He calls it “Talk on Walk.” People walk. Then talk about health. Simple idea. Strong message. He also warns about young patients rising. “Why do we see stroke at 21?” he asks. No one answers easily.
Then comes his biggest dream, yet to materialise. An ultra walk from Teknaf to Tetulia. Across Bangladesh. 30 kilometers per day. For 30 days. A long journey of endurance and awareness. “We will walk from sunrise to sunset,” he says. “And we will talk to the nation while walking.”
He believes sports are not just competition. It is survival. So what is his final message? “Move your body,” he says. “Or your disease will move first.” A doctor. A professor. A media voice. A social builder. A walker. One life. Many paths. And still walking.
