Editorial
Angry minister picks on wrong targets
NOT all political leaders are notably moderate persons, nor are all their pronouncements mild and pleasant. But the acerbity and belligerence demonstrated by the textiles and jute minister, Abdul Latif Siddique, in the course of his address at a discussion meeting arranged by the Awami Sangskritik Forum at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Saturday, will find few parallels. The hot air he was puffing out was directed against multiple targets – Ziaur Rahman, Ershad, the media, lawyers, even 'some Awami League leaders'. His particular bêtes noire were the newspaper owners whom he called 'illegitimate children of Zia-Ershad'. He exhorted the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists engaged in in-fighting to take on the opposition instead of fighting among themselves.
The minister has not noticed, it seems, that the Chhatra League has already ousted their main opponents from nearly all institutions and there is none left against whom they could fight, hence the in-fighting. What is particularly worrying is that his call on the Chhatra League to target the opposition may be construed as an encouragement to violence and the political scene may be further beclouded. Instead of inciting the youths of the Chhatra League to pounce upon the other student groups or whatever, he could help to reorganise them into a fine force of student politics with positive goals. This will require introduction of election and democratisation of the student body.
The minister then went on to vent his spleen against the media. We are not suggesting that the media has no flaws or is above criticism. But a condemnation of the media, or of any object of condemnation, must be based on sound logic. The textiles minister accused the media of trying to protect the war criminals instead of helping the efforts to prosecute them. He cited no evidence. The media is of different hues but if he is speaking of the mainstream media, then it is absurd to suggest that the media shielded the war criminals. On the contrary, it is the larger section of the media, along with some socio-cultural organisations and the Sector Commanders' Forum, that kept the issue of war crimes trial alive. Ministers and politicians had almost forgotten it.
Latif Siddique also decried the media for its supportive role during the military-backed emergency government of Fakhruddin Ahmed. This is only partially true; a section of the media also opposed, or highlighted the unconstitutional character of the two-year-long interim government within the limitations then prevailing. Therefore, he cannot tar the entire media with the same brush, remembering that his own party had taken an ambivalent position towards that regime. Talking to this newspaper the minister said crony capitalism exerted a bad influence on the politics of both the Awami league and the Chhatra League. Without differing with him we would say that all parties, including his own, which held power in this country created as much as were created by lumpen capitalism.
If the minister is angry or frustrated over the doings of his party or party colleagues, there are understandable reasons for it. But he will achieve nothing by picking unrelated issues and innocent victims.
On 7/12/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
Jute minister's remarks termed provocative,irresponsible
Cross-section of people on Sunday described as 'irresponsible' and 'outrageous' the remarks of jute minister Abdul Latif Siddique that the Chhatra League should take on the opposition rather than fighting among themselves.
They also condemned as a 'reflection of fascist
mentality' his diatribe against the media.
They said that the minister's provocative remarks proved that the government had no respect for the mass media and democratic norms and values.
At a programme of Awami Sangskritik Forum on Saturday, the minister for textiles and jute, Abdul Latif Siddique, advised the Bangladesh Chhatra League activists to stop infighting and take on the opposition parties instead. 'Why do you fight among yourselves instead of taking on them [opposition]. I know the media will kick up a fuss about my comments but I do not care…,' he said.
Pointing at the television cameras at the programme, he said, 'These machines are not in favour of us. The reporters might be our supporters but the owners are illegitimate sons of military rulers Zia and Ershad.'
'The minister's remarks laid bare the fascist face of the Awami League. I am consciously using the adjective as I watch the activities of the government,' said writer Azfar Hussain.
'I am not at all surprised by such irresponsible remarks of the minister as we all know their cultural background. All these indicate the bankruptcy of bourgeois politics. Such bourgeois politics did not solve the issues like war crimes rather kept them alive for political gains. Such activities have kept the problems of the majority of the people, the workers and peasants, out of focus,' he said.
Anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed said, 'One should respond to such inanity by asking the minister whether this is the Awami League's secret policy, whether Sheikh Hasina's standing down from the top position of Chhatra League last year was aimed at pulling the wool over our eyes; how long he [minister] thinks the public will tolerate such blatant arrogance… What I actually find deeply worrying is the sheer disregard for our public universities which have a proud history of producing so many meritorious students…'
'The present government is literally driving the last nail into the coffin of the public universities… Destroying the moral fabric of the public universities is a despicable crime…I demand that the government publish a white paper on where the children of ministers and top-ranking bureaucrats study, whether at public or private universities, whether at home or abroad,' she said.
Rights watchdog Odhikar's secretary Adilur Rahman Khan said, 'The minister's remarks once again reminded us of the fascist trend in politics when political persecution is continuing. The ruling class in Bangladesh, irrespective of partisanship, has a fascist tendency. One need not mention what was the situation during the rule of unelected governments. People, especially the students in Bangladesh, have long been struggling against such trend and the minister's remarks have proved that the struggle is not over…,' he said.
Robaet Ferdous, associate professor of mass-communication and journalism at Dhaka University, said the minister should be reined in so that he does not make such irresponsible remarks again. 'The whole country is suffering because of Chhatra League's violence; what the minister wants to achieve by trying to incite them to attack others,' he asked.
'What is most alarming is the minister's total disrespect for democracy and mass media. It seems he considers himself above everything and accountable to none. I fear bad days are ahead for Bangladeshi mass media. They have already closed down a newspaper and two television channels. The minister's tone indicates something ominous,' said Robaet.
Mushtaque Ahmed, a young entrepreneur and managing director of Reptile Farms Ltd, said, 'It is shocking that a minister can speak this way.'
'The minister's remarks will provoke more violence in student politics. This eventually will strengthen the quarters who want to stop student politics,' said Mahbubul Haque, a student of mass communication and journalism at Dhaka University.
Rifat Rezwana, a student of Bangla at Jahangirnagar University, said 'Violence on campuses is never acceptable whether it is infighting of a student body or a clash between rival student organisations.'
'The minister's comments made it clear that the government is not only supporting Chhatra League's activities, but also inciting them to do so,' said Munna Amzad, a student of Urdu at Dhaka University.
Bazlul Karim Chowdhury Abed, vice-president of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said they did not expect such irresponsible remarks from a senior minister. 'We condemn it.'
Chhatra League general secretary Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton declined comments on the minister's remarks. 'Being a man of ordinary position, I think I should not make comments on what a minister has said.'On 7/11/10, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:Textile Minister on AL and the media
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