Shajahan, Rafiqul slammed for talk show quarrel

A number of Awami League and BNP leaders and distinguished personalities yesterday sharply criticised Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and BNP leader Rafiqul Islam Miah for their exchange of indecent words on a live television talk show Monday night.
The way Shajahan and Rafiqul talked was nothing but a reflection of the country's "sick politics and intolerance", and it is a threat to democracy, they told The Daily Star.
For their exchange of abusive words, the authorities of private television channel Rtv had to suspend airing the live programme, “Our Democracy”, where they were to talk on “Safe Journey Home for Eid and Puja”.
At the programme, Shajahan started citing Al government's successes in the shipping sector and picking holes in the past BNP-led government. "No development did take place in this sector during the rule of the four-party alliance government. There was only extortion and plundering. Mirza Abbas and Gayeshwar Chandra were involved in endless extortion."
As he went on, Rafiqul asked Shahjahan, "Prove it, then talk."
The BNP leader continued, "Extortion and looting took place during our rule. Have all these stopped now? We are not involved in the Hall-Mark, Padma bridge, share market and railwaygate scams. Now, people are calling you (AL leaders) thief."
A fuming Shajahan soon broke into shouts, "Stop it. You say when I finish."
Rtv moderator Robaet Ferdous tried to calm the two when they started hurling more abusive words, and at one point he kept asking the Rtv control room to stop the programme or go to a break.
The moderator said, "Stop the programme…. I will leave. We are a new generation. We expect politicians to behave courteously."
The quarrel went on still.
Shajahan called Rafiqul an uncouth man "who gets in others' way in talking."
As the situation slipped out of control, the Rtv authorities stopped airing the programme and blacked out the screen.
Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP standing committee member, said, “We are very much disturbed for the way the two political leaders behaved. It was nothing but a reflection of a sick political culture of our country.”
AL Organising Secretary Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP said they were yet to learn the norms of democracy and Monday's incident was a reflection.
Addressing a discussion at Jatiya Press Club yesterday, Rafiqul said that at the talk show, Shajahan "threatened to gouge his eyes out".
Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, said this kind of attitude by political leaders was considered a threat to democracy.