No govt can afford to curb media freedom
Terming the National Broadcast Policy 2014 “a unilateral exercise”, the Transparency International Bangladesh yesterday said unilateral imposition of policies and action to control the media can only be counterproductive.
“….what could be a good example of government's engagement with stakeholders has turned into little more than eyewash and eventually a unilateral exercise,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told UNB.
The TIB official, who was at the forefront of civil society leaders invited to participate in the process behind formulating the policy, said no government can afford to restrict media freedom, not to speak of doing away with it.
“The only type of regime that finds it convenient to go that way is military or military-backed or other types of authoritarian government,” he added.
The government will serve its own cause if it holds a series of genuine consultations with stakeholders to review the broadcast policy, observed Iftekharuzzaman.
He commended some good aspects of the policy. “But the unfortunate part of the experience is that our governments often fail to live up to their own standards.”
The information ministry on Thursday published a gazette on the National Broadcast Policy 2014 for television and radio, ignoring worries about a possible misuse of some of its provisions.
About the policy, he said it is appalling a provision has been kept in the policy that can be easily interpreted to practically proscribe critical views against armed forces and law enforcement agencies in the pretext of protecting image.
“This is against the spirit of democracy. Nobody or no institution can be above criticism in democracy,” he pointed out.
The policy also contains many provisions that are subject to such scope and risk of motivated, subjective and arbitrary interpretations that the document can at best be called as a lost opportunity, mentioned the anti-graft activist.
“The basic constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of expression can be severely curtailed. The policy appears to be a brainchild of those in the government who are intolerant to media freedom and critical views,” he observed.
On formation of a broadcast commission, he said the selection process should be absolutely transparent though the experience of commissions in the country is far from satisfactory.
He hoped that the broadcast commission would be constituted by individuals who enjoy credibility in public eye, who are impeccably non-partisan and well-known for contributions to public life, media and broadcast sector in particular.
Asked whether media freedom is set to suffer a twin-blow as the new press and publications act is in the offing which would revive the 1973 act's provision whereby the DC's can shutdown publication, Iftekharuzzaman said there are reasons to be concerned about such a turnaround.
“But we hope and trust that the government wouldn't take such a course that can be counterproductive for itself, and for the future of democratic and constitutional rights of the people, particularly right to free media and free flow of information,” he added.
The TIB chief executive said he does not think that there is absence of media freedom yet in Bangladesh.
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