----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Sree Sreenivasan <ss221@columbia.edu>
To: SAJA E-mail Discussion List <saja-disc@lists.jrn.columbia.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, 28 May, 2008 7:38:03 AM
Subject: BANGLADESH: Debate about press freedom
From SAJAforum, the newsy SAJA blog - new desi stuff daily:
http://www.sajaforum.org
See links below and post your comments at
http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/05/press-freedom-s.html
Anyone following this debate around "self censorship" under Army-backed
caretaker government (known as CTG) in Bangladesh?
A May 23 op-ed in Dhaka's The Daily Star, by Abdul Hanna, a freelancer -
"Freedom of the Press":
>>>
...it is remarkable that now there is no curb on press freedom in
Bangladesh, although the country has been under emergency rule since the
present caretaker government assumed power in January last year. It is
important to note that it is for the first time in Bangladesh that there
has not been a single instance of victimisation, persecution or harassment
of journalists. It is unprecedented in a country under emergency rule.
The government has lived up to the assurance given by the Chief
Advisor Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed to the editors and representatives of the
media in May last year, that the provision of the emergency power 2007
ordinance providing for restriction or punishment to errant press will not
be applied to the media which enjoys full and unfettered freedom. He also
wanted to see the national press play the role of a parliament, debating
vital national issues in the absence of Jatiyo Sansad.
<<<
Here's a response in the Dhaka Shohor blog - "The Daily Star's Lowest
Point: Error-ridden, Dishonest Op-Ed Piece Takes Pot-shots at New Age":
>>>
I do not know what Mr. Abdul Hannan's line of work is, but researching
press freedom is hopefully not it, because he is liable to be fired.
Someone writing about press freedom in Bangladesh, in one of its highest
circulated newspapers, is expected to know the fundamentals of the
subject.
Moreover, the editors who let this go to print should ensure that
there are no factual errors in the piece. There is one glaring error that
underpins this entire write-up. In the fourth paragraph, the writer says:
"However, it is remarkable that now there is no curb on press freedom
in Bangladesh, although the country has been under emergency rule since
the present caretaker government assumed power in January last year. It is
important to note that it is for the first time in Bangladesh that there
has not been a single instance of victimization, persecution or harassment
of journalists. It is unprecedented in a country under emergency rule."
Mr. Hannan most likely reads the Daily Star. Which is why he seems
particularly unaware of what Mr. Tasneem Khalil of the same newspaper went
through last May. Which is why he does not know about Mr. Jahangir Alam
Akash and his broken legs.
But surely the editors at this newspaper know what happened to their
own colleague last May if not about Jahangir Alam Akash! That they let
this falsehood go to print reflects very badly on them as people, but that
is not my judgement to make.
<<<
See other critiques of The Daily Star here.
We welcome comments from editors of the Star and other Bangladesh
watchers.
Please see links above and post your comments at
http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/05/press-freedom-s.html
==> See more than 1,300 postings on dozens of subjects at
http://www.sajaforum.org
From: Sree Sreenivasan <ss221@columbia.edu>
To: SAJA E-mail Discussion List <saja-disc@lists.jrn.columbia.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, 28 May, 2008 7:38:03 AM
Subject: BANGLADESH: Debate about press freedom
From SAJAforum, the newsy SAJA blog - new desi stuff daily:
http://www.sajaforum.org
See links below and post your comments at
http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/05/press-freedom-s.html
Anyone following this debate around "self censorship" under Army-backed
caretaker government (known as CTG) in Bangladesh?
A May 23 op-ed in Dhaka's The Daily Star, by Abdul Hanna, a freelancer -
"Freedom of the Press":
>>>
...it is remarkable that now there is no curb on press freedom in
Bangladesh, although the country has been under emergency rule since the
present caretaker government assumed power in January last year. It is
important to note that it is for the first time in Bangladesh that there
has not been a single instance of victimisation, persecution or harassment
of journalists. It is unprecedented in a country under emergency rule.
The government has lived up to the assurance given by the Chief
Advisor Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed to the editors and representatives of the
media in May last year, that the provision of the emergency power 2007
ordinance providing for restriction or punishment to errant press will not
be applied to the media which enjoys full and unfettered freedom. He also
wanted to see the national press play the role of a parliament, debating
vital national issues in the absence of Jatiyo Sansad.
<<<
Here's a response in the Dhaka Shohor blog - "The Daily Star's Lowest
Point: Error-ridden, Dishonest Op-Ed Piece Takes Pot-shots at New Age":
>>>
I do not know what Mr. Abdul Hannan's line of work is, but researching
press freedom is hopefully not it, because he is liable to be fired.
Someone writing about press freedom in Bangladesh, in one of its highest
circulated newspapers, is expected to know the fundamentals of the
subject.
Moreover, the editors who let this go to print should ensure that
there are no factual errors in the piece. There is one glaring error that
underpins this entire write-up. In the fourth paragraph, the writer says:
"However, it is remarkable that now there is no curb on press freedom
in Bangladesh, although the country has been under emergency rule since
the present caretaker government assumed power in January last year. It is
important to note that it is for the first time in Bangladesh that there
has not been a single instance of victimization, persecution or harassment
of journalists. It is unprecedented in a country under emergency rule."
Mr. Hannan most likely reads the Daily Star. Which is why he seems
particularly unaware of what Mr. Tasneem Khalil of the same newspaper went
through last May. Which is why he does not know about Mr. Jahangir Alam
Akash and his broken legs.
But surely the editors at this newspaper know what happened to their
own colleague last May if not about Jahangir Alam Akash! That they let
this falsehood go to print reflects very badly on them as people, but that
is not my judgement to make.
<<<
See other critiques of The Daily Star here.
We welcome comments from editors of the Star and other Bangladesh
watchers.
Please see links above and post your comments at
http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/05/press-freedom-s.html
==> See more than 1,300 postings on dozens of subjects at
http://www.sajaforum.org
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