Taming
the press in Bangladesh
The latest effort at taming the fourth estate is a bill to restrict the media from publishing reports about certain matters of parliament.
In Bangladesh during the decade of democracy
(1991-2001), the press experienced brutal violence leading to death and
maiming. The perpetrators of the violence have never been put on trial. In most
incidents the prime suspect were not arrested. Here I will only discuss those
perpetrators who have been elected to public office. From lawmakers to
municipal commissioners and their henchmen have been directly involved in the
violence. The attack on journalists was deliberately to silence their voice.
With the advent of democracy, the press often
investigated into the democratic accountability of the persons elected to
public offices. A new trend of bold, aggressive and assertive journalism was
ushered in. The exposure in the press, mostly in the Bangla dailies, severely
jeopardised the credibility of elected representatives..
Despite hiccups and stalemates in democracy, Bangladesh is the only third-world
country which has experienced in successful transfers of power thrice to
incumbent governments through free, fair and regular elections under neutral
caretaker governments. Taking advantage of the situation, several independent
newspapers and TV channels have also made their debut. One objective of the
independent print and electronic media was to investigate into the democratic
accountability of the elected representatives in the parliament. Gradually the
small town correspondents also investigated into the underworld don`s
connection with the political power in the local bodies as well as with power
lobbies in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Simultaneously the intolerant regimes began exercising their might, a legacy
inherited from military era (1975-1990). The methodology of the ruling party
encouraged others and has demonstrated the art of coercion, intimidation and
repression by the underworld dons. Apart from the henchmen of the politicians,
the civil and military bureaucracies have also subjected the press to
harassment.
The latest effort at taming the fourth estate is a
bill to restrict the media from publishing reports about certain matters of
parliament. In mid April, Mohammad Abu Hena, MP introduced a private member`s
bill titled "The Jatiya Sangsad (Special Privileges and Powers) Act
2002" which attempts to block media access to parliament information and
raise the status and privileges of the speaker and MPs. The proposed law
defines publishing confidential decisions, reports, documents or proceedings of
the parliament as punishable crimes.
The proposed legislation gives immunity to the lawmakers against criminal
charges and has empowered the speaker to punish "strangers" (noisy
journalists and parliament watchdog) in the parliament for
"misconduct". Passing offensive remarks or insulting a Member of
Parliament, seditious comments and any obstruction to the functioning of the
parliament have also been proposed as crimes.
Last year the head of the caretaker government, on 24
August asked the police to speed up their investigations into the murders and
attacks of a dozen journalists. This was again repeated on 26 October. Prime
Minister Khaleda Zia, asked authorities for fresh investigations be opened into
the murders of six journalists while the Awami League was in power. Nothing
tangible has resulted. Effective pressure from journalists` and human rights
organisations is needed which can force the authorities to react with impunity.
CASE STUDY ONE: FENI
On 25 January 2000, masked men abducted and beat up Tipu Sultan, correspondent with a private United News of Bangladesh (UNB) at Feni. The henchmen of Joynal Hazari, a ruling Awami League lawmaker in Feni severely beat him with lethal weapons and presumed he was dead. They abandoned him. Tipu Sultan was discovered unconscious a few hours later by policemen. He was taken to hospital where doctors recommended him to be transferred to Dhaka to avoid amputation of his four limbs; both of Sultan`s arms and legs received multiple fractures.