Test of strength?
Some Bengali newspapers have carried out a news item under the headline "Aaj Awami League O BNP er Shakti Parikkha", meaning "Today there will a test of strength between the Awami League and the BNP".
The story under the headline reads, on May Day, the prime minister will address her labour front's meeting at Paltan and Begum Khaleda Zia will address her front the next day, i.e. on 2nd May at the same venue. There is nothing wrong in it and I believe the parties have not declared war against each other and there will be no battle or fight on the same ground.
I feel such headlines by newspapers, are in fact, instigations to two groups of supporters to deploy more forces, as many as each side can master, to counter the opposing forces. In Bangladesh, the number of attendances is not the real indicator of strength because the political parties hire people to attend their public meetings. Let me remind the newspapers of the public attendance in the campaign meetings of Begum Khaleda Zia just the before the December 29 election.
She was overwhelmed to see the attendances in her meetings and suddenly her body language changed which had been much diminished by revelation of her government's corruption by the ACC. I hope we all remember what happened when a free and fair election was held on 29 December.
The newspapers play a vital role in educating people by providing information to all levels of people. I believe, the newspapers should be as neutral as possible, and their news should be as factual as possible for creating mutual respect among our people. Giving unnecessary headlines or printing big headlines, or headlines which evoke anger or disrespect are not a good service to the nation.
Comments