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Awami League Media Terrorism - Amardesh publisher arrested

Blatant attack on press freedom and freedom of expression


THE suspension of broadcasting of Ekushey Television, Bangla Vision and Islamic TV, allegedly at the behest of certain government agencies, during their live coverage of the grand rally, organised by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance in the capital on Monday, for about three and a half hours from 3.00pm — almost an hour before the leader of the opposition and BNP chairperson started her speech makes a mockery of the claim made more often than not by the key functionaries of the government, including the prime minister, that they have ensured media freedom and free flow of information. As a member of the Cable Operators’ Association of Bangladesh is quoted in a report of New Age on Tuesday as saying, they were forced to switch off transmission of the three channels. Moreover, as an official of Bangla Vision claimed that the channel was blacked out immediately after someone, presumably in the government, asked them to stop the live telecast of the programme. It may be pertinent to recall that, according to media reports on Monday, the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, the government’s monitoring and licensing authority on telecast, advised all TV channels not to broadcast the rally live. All this, suffice it to say, is not only obstruction of free flow of information but also violation of the citizens’ right to know and, above all, freedom of expression, enshrined in the constitution.
Unfortunately, contrary to the Awami League’s electoral pledge to ensure ‘freedom of all types of mass media and flow of information’, the government has thus far shown a growing predilection for establishing its control over the media, print and electronic, apparently as a part of its move to constrict the space for dissenting voices. It forced Channel One, a private television which was believed to be pro-opposition, to close operation permanently on tenuous ground in April 2010. Thereafter, in June 2010, it ordered discontinuation of publication of a national Bangla daily, which is generally critical of the incumbents’ policies and actions; the daily has since resumed operation by dint of a verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Besides, in May of the same year, it blocked access to Facebook and YouTube after some satirical images of the prophet of Islam alongside some leaders of the country were posted online; it was eventually forced to retreat in the midst of widespread criticism and condemnation.
Freedom of expression is the signature of a democratic polity. Hence, the incumbents, who claim to be committed to democratic ideals and values, would be well-advised to not make any more attempts to restrict free flow of information and constrict press freedom.

New Age | Newspaper
 
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Media barred from reporting

Staff Correspondent

International Crimes Tribunal 2 on Thursday passed an order barring the media from publishing any write-up or transcript relating to alleged Skype conversation and e-mail communications between former ICT 1 chairman Justice Nizamul Huq and a Bangladeshi expatriate living in Brussels.

This was the first order Tribunal 2 issued after it had been reconstituted. Justice Obaidul Hasan, who was a member of the tribunal, presided over the session as the new chair. As the tribunal began proceedings after the recess, prosecutor Rana Dasgupta submitted the December 13 issues of two Bangla daily newspapers — Amar Desh and Dainik Sangram.

He also submitted that Amar Desh from December 9 began publishing the alleged conversations.The prosecutor said that on the day the second installment was published, prosecutor Syed Haider Ali brought the issue to the notice of Tribunal 1.

Amar Desh in the installment published in its Thursday’s issue also talked about Tribunal 2 member Justice Shahinur Islam and the publication of the series of reports has now involved both Tribunal 1 and 2, he said. He said that the tribunal earlier on December 6 asked the chief editor and South Asia bureau chief of the UK-based Economist to answer why proceedings should not be initiated against them for breach of privacy.

The tribunal also directed the respondents to keep secret the information which they had gathered from the Skype conversation and e-mail communications and the computer of former Tribunal 1 chairman, he said. He said that in the evening on December 11, the Tribunal 1 chairman had stepped down to uphold the dignity of the institution after the reports had been published on alleged Skype conversation and e-mail communications.

Rana said that although newspapers of the country had published reports on court order on the Economist issue, Amar Desh started publishing reports on the alleged conversations of Nizamul Haq with the Bangladeshi expatriate.

The continuous publication of alleged private conversation, which is an offence, has clearly created a wrong perception in respect of the institutional dignity of both Tribunal 1 and 2, he said. He said that the continued publication of the alleged communications even after the resignation of the Tribunal 1 chair was intended to malign the institution.

The recording of the private conversation is an offence, he said. Rana said that Sangram had also published the conversation on Thursday. ‘Since the former chairman has already stepped down and the ICT 1 has been reconstituted, we consider it appropriate and indispensable, for keeping the administration of justice unaffected, to direct all the daily newspapers including Amar Desh and Daily Sangram, online newspapers and agencies and electronic media in Bangladesh to remain refrained from now on from publishing any writing or transcript relating to alleged conversations and email communications that is claimed to have taken place between Justice Nizamul Huq and Dr Ahmed Ziauddin,’ the order said.

It also asked relevant authorities to communicate the order to editors of Amar Desh and Sangram, the information ministry and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission for information, necessary action and guidance.


New Age | Newspaper
 
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:lol:a gag order after being it already being published! the country is a lost cause when journos are getting arrested.
 
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Democracy in Bangladesh means Autocratic Govt for 5 years. Caliphate is the solution :D
 
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It is time for BNP to come to power and Khaleda Zia to lead the nation. Only this lady can save this nation.
 
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Draconian guidelines for pvt TV channels in the offing
Failure to carry govt order would cost licence

Shakhawat Hossain

A set of guidelines for private channels drafted by the information ministry would, on adoption, empower the government to cancel TV licences for failure to carry out its orders, officials said. The first ever draft guidelines prepared by the government would stipulate the rules for the establishment and regulating Bangladesh’s private channels.

A special provision in it would empower the government to cancel the licene of channels that fail to carry out its orders, officials said.The draft is entitled, Private Television Establishment and Regulation Guideline 2012, they said. Its provision for ‘Suspension and Cancellation of Licences’ would empower the government to cancel licence of a cannel if it fails to meet any of the four conditions laid out including payment default, breaching spectrum conditions of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, violation of the guidelines and failure to carry or orders.

Shykh Seraj, secretary general of the newly-formed association of TV channel owners, said the provision for canceling licence cannot be democratic.

The guidelines propose to provide the government arbitrary and autocratic powers to cancel licence for failure of channels to carry out its orders, he said.

Officials said that the Information Ministry sought opinions from others ministries and divisions of the government on the draft for sending it to the cabinet for approval. It took government agencies one year’s work to draft the guidelines for streamlining the
functioning of two dozens of private TV channels that grew up in less than two decades, officials said. Initially, they consulted the channel operators, said Shykh Seraj. But the authorities never cared to send a copy of the draft to the association or the channel owners, he added.

The draft proposes imposing bans on broadcasting news related talk shows, editorials and showing talk-shows of foreign channels, live or recorded.

When it comes to programmes of foreign channels, the guidelines would permit local private TV networks to broadcast only entertainment and documentary shows, live or recorded, officials said.

The proposed guidelines prohibit providing licences to convicts and persons facing seditious charges and opposed to the country’s independence.Political parties and affiliated organizations including trade unions and their members would not be eligible to get licences, they said.

No foreign citizen or foreign company would get the licencse either, they said.The draft proposes creation of a nine-member national regulatory committee headed by an additional secretary and a six-member monitoring committee headed by state-owned BTV director general for overseeing the private channels, they said.

The draft proposes banning screening dead bodies and showing photos of abused women and providing their identities. It prohibits broadcasting advertisements of financial entities having no license from Bangladesh Bank.

IT would permit private TV channels to show commercial advertisements not more than 20 per cent of their total air time each day. It proposes setting licensing fee at Tk one lakh and the annual renewal fee at Tk 50,000.

New Age | Newspaper
 
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Now Awami League and its sponsor abroad attacking Daily Amardesh news site to cover up their crimes.

 
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It is time for BNP to come to power and Khaleda Zia to lead the nation. Only this lady can save this nation.

If I am not wrong when BNP was in power Bangladesh awarded as most corrupt nation on earth ??
 
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