Sheersha News dot Com closed:
http://www.amardeshonline.com/pages/details/2011/08/22/100905
http://www.sheershanews.com/?view=details&data=Entertainment&news_type_id=1&menu_id=1&news_id=22989
Media restriction:
http://dailynayadiganta.com/2011/08/21/fullnews.asp?News_ID=295440&sec=5
On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 8:55 AM, Isha Khan <bdmailer@gmail.com> wrote:
New restrictive measures on media soon
Faisal Rahim
The government is now working on a new stringent 'Private Broadcasting
Policy 2011' to be announced soon in an apparent move to control any
dissenting voice.
Expression of views in the media is therefore coming under
increasing government scrutiny making it more difficult for the media
practitioners to ensure freedom of expression complying with the
government regulations. Once the new restrictive policy comes in
force, it will adversely affect press freedom.
Meanwhile, as a part of this restrictive policy, two politicians
and a programme moderator of Ekushey TV has already been summoned to a
High Court bench last week to explain their remarks on the judges in a
case relating to Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini.
They have been asked to appear before the court on August 18 to
explain. The politicians include BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia's advisor
Ahmed Azam Khan and a central leader of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal
(BSD) Raziquzzaman Ratan and the moderator of the talk show Anjan Roy.
The suo-moto rule was issued by the High Court bench of justices A
H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Gobinda Chandra Tagore on the three in
this regard. Deputy attorney general A B M Altaf Hossain brought the
issue before the notice of the court.
It is also happening at a time when the editor of weekly Shirshaw
News is already under police custody on charges allegedly for money
extortion. Earlier, the Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman was put in
jail for almost one year in a contempt case. A senior reporter of the
daily was sent to jail for one month despite his pleading guilty to
avert the sentence.
While airing public opinion, media outlets like TV channels, radio
and newspapers have to take extra care now whether their views are
likely to cause any unwilling slander to the government or the
judiciary.
"We are at a fix," said a news editor of a popular channel
expressing the volume of pressure in running the daily news programme.
It may be recalled that the two politicians reportedly said, "The
judges wrote an essay on cow while writing on river," Altaf Hossain
told reporters later on. The talk show participants apparently made
the reference as the judges brought BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia
in their comments in a judgement on a case relating to a charge of
contempt on the constitution made by Amini.
The court has also directed the ETV authorities to submit a compact
disc (CD) of the programme before it on Aug 12.
Police earlier arrested Akramul Haque, editor of the weekly
'Shirshaw News' on charges of three money extortion cases. The fact
was that he printed some reports on irregularities of a state minister
responsible for the ministry of forest and environment.
The government action initially came on Haque in the form of
cancellation of 10 accreditation cards of the newsmen working for his
weekly and its online version. As they were agitating for restoration
of the accreditation cards, three cases were suddenly lodged against
him, one by a secretariat employee, another by a businessman having
false address at Kolabagan and the third one at Ashulia thana in the
outskirt of the city.
The secretariat employee, affiliated to the ruling party,lodged the
case at least one week after the cancellation of the accreditation
card and Haque wondered how he could demand money inside the
secretariat when his permission to enter into the building complex was
snatched earlier.
The veracity of the Kolabagan businessman also could not be
ascertained as the presence of the complaint could not be identified
in the given address. The third case at Ashulia was reportedly lodged
in the same day as the one lodged against him at Bangladesh
secretariat address.
Haque's family wondered how all such things could happen when the
government's anger on him directly resulted from some critical news
reports published in his weekly in the recent past. Moreover the
cancellation of the accreditation cards of 10 newsmen and his arrest
have in fact knocked out the weekly and its online version from
functioning sending about 40 newsmen out of job.
Meanwhile, the new Private Broadcasting Policy 2011, is lying with
the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry of Information
for vetting, has formulated a comprehensive guideline on what private
TV and radio stations can't telecast in greater interest of state
security.
It said they will be barred from airing programmes which could
cause deterioration of relations with friendly nations. Under the new
policy, once adopted, TV and radio stations will also be barred from
telecasting footage that may show disrespect to the members of the
armed forces, law enforcing agencies and public servants engaged in
punishing criminals.
They can't telecast programmes which may bring dishonour to father
of the nation in one hand and heap praise and sympathy to 'rogue
elements' and people having no moral character. Programmes distorting
the country's history also can't be telecast.
Besides, "no programme on campaign on behalf of a country having
conflicts with Bangladesh can be aired to result in influencing the
issue. Again programme on a campaign against any friendly country
can't be telecast which may hamper the country's relations with that
country".
Private satellite TV channels backed by the opposition parties will
not be allowed to air programmes portraying India as not a friend of
Bangladesh. They will not be able to release secret government
documents or military documents, the disclosure of which may endanger
the state's security.
Among other things, it will also prohibit showing footage of rape,
adultery, violence against women and children and scenes of violence,
severe injury, blood stains, horrible pieces and other distasteful
incidents. TV channels and radio stations will be asked to follow the
new guidelines in addition to Censorship of Films Act 1963, the policy
outlines said.
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