Column written by a Bangladeshi Journalist

1. n
Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed
R
eceding circulation levels,
decreasing revenues, and
a low readership -- three
expressions often used to
explain the state of print media in
Bangladesh. Nevertheless, the story
of independent Bangladesh would be
fundamentally incomplete without
the turbulent, yet remarkable tale of
its newspapers.
Stories of common Bangalis
are enchanting, their struggles
concerning. Dissent is indispensable
in a fragile democracy. Add to this,
the perspectives of citizens combined
with facts presented by journalists,
print media in particular, provides a
lens to give a holistic glimpse of the
sociopolitical struggles and victories
of a proud yet imperfect nation.
Print media’s responsibility
As Dhaka Tribune celebrates its
8th anniversary at a time when the
foundations of our constitutionally
liberal democratic system are
rightly being questioned, it becomes
imperative for print media outlets to
remind themselves of their power in
promoting positive change -- a power
that materializes when they operate
unitedly, rather than autonomously.
After 50 years of freedom, we
the citizens make a clarion call to
the media, it is time for The Fourth
Estate to mutually unite in its quest
to stand behind truth and do so with
strength and valour. In a political
climate where fake news is rampant,
the draconian Digital Security Law
mercilessly misused and social
media trolls widespread, it becomes
the unyielding responsibility of
traditional print media along with
credible online outlets, to be a voice
of not only reason, but of the reality
we see today.
Fifty years of our independent
history will pay testament to
what such a united front from our
journalistic community can truly
achieve -- and this is something
which will be even more crucial
in a post-pandemic world, where
questions regarding governance,
administrative decisions, and public
policy-making will surely arise.
The role of the Daily Ittefaq in
constructively formulating the
concerns of Bangalis played a
prominent role in defining the
trajectory of Bangali nationalism in
the pre-independence years. From
criticizing the colonial tendencies of
the West Pakistani leadership to being
constantly harassed by the regime of
President Ayub Khan, the newspaper
and its editor Tofazzel Hossain Manik
Miah became key accelerators in
promoting the six-point demands
of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the
Awami League.
In a move deemed deeply
symbolic, the Daily Ittefaq office was
burned down and demolished by the
Pakistan Army on March 25, 1971,
while its publications following this
event during the liberation struggle
remain controversial, the role of this
outlet in being a vessel to promote the
intellectual basis for emancipation,
cannot be undermined.
Advocates for democracy
The 1970s and 1980s saw both
tacit and explicit press censorship
on part of political regimes. The
continuation of colonial era laws was
used by the likes of General Ershad
to suppress press freedom -- national
security being the go-to-notion of
authoritarians to justify the curbing
of press rights.
A collective usage of the 1974
Special Powers Act, the 1923 Official
Secrets Act, the 1974 Newsprint
Control Order, the 1926 Contempt of
Court Act, and the 1860 Penal Code,
along with broader governmental
regulations, meant that print
media had its limitations in being
autonomous advocates of democracy.
But as public pressure on Ershad
mounted, print media became critical
of the president. When Awami
League activist Noor Hossain was
gunned down in anti-Ershad protests
by state authorities on November
10, 1987, newspapers across the
country published his picture with
the iconic slogan Shoirachar Nipaat
Jaak Gonotontro Mukti Paak -- this
particular moment was a form of
rebellion on part of editors and
journalists and became a catalyst
in expressing a collective form of
dissent against dictatorial rule. And
symbolically, this was even more
important, as the newspaper went
against state guidelines on being
critical of government rule.
Parliamentary democracy brought
with it the advent of The Daily
Star in 1991 -- whether one agrees or
disagrees with their editorial stances,
there can be little to no doubt about
the singular influence of this outlet in
being a vocal yet constructive critic of
the government of the day.
As the investments from media
houses and the commercialization of
the press became a norm across the
1990s, we saw the arrival of the Daily
Manab Zamin, Prothom Alo, The
Independent, The Daily Janakantha,
The Daily Jugantor, and more. When
the BNP orchestrated a fabricated
election in 1996 or enlisted war
criminals into the cabinet in 2001,
print media outlets did not think
twice before scathing Begum Khaleda
Zia and her party for betraying the
essence of democracy and damaging
the spirit of the Liberation War.
Similarly, newspapers carried
reports which indirectly referred to
the general elections of 2014 and
2018 as absurd and lacking credibility.
Neither did they flinch in publicly
calling out the BNP government for
its lackluster reaction to the August
21 grenade attacks. With reference to
the government forming a one-man
judicial probe led by Justice Joynul
Abedin to investigate the attack
on Sheikh Hasina, The Daily Star
described him as a “one-man shame
for the judiciary” -- other newspapers
posited similar reactions.
Nevertheless, the editorial biases
of certain print outlets acted as an
implicit sponsor of the military-
backed unconstitutional government
which took power in January 2007.
The interrelationship and interest of
certain portions of the civil society,
senior journalists, and the military,
resulted in unfettered and unverified
news being published by premier
newspapers such as The Daily Star
and Prothom Alo.
Whilst seasoned editor Mahfuz
Anam has publicly apologized
for this, this period marked a
dark point in what has otherwise
been a checkered career -- the
common reaction being that of
disappointment, especially as
it related to a leading voice in
promoting independent journalism.
The ramifications of this period
on the idea of independent media
free from government intervention,
has therefore been vital in defining
the discourse of a free press in
Bangladesh.
The past decade
The past decade has been somewhat
different -- an avalanche of
institutional attacks on press freedom
through the Digital Security Act being
of primary concern. While this does
not in any way take away from the
attack on media seen by political
machos in the past, the increasing
usage of legal tools to suppress
journalistic freedom and create an
environment of self-censorship has
been damning for the country and its
citizens -- especially at a time when
those in power have marketed the
notion of an unparalleled period of
development and growth.
Cases of journalists being arrested
on charges related to the Digital
Security Act have been criticized by
global organizations and local think-
tanks. In the 2020 Press Freedom
Index published by Reporters
Without Borders, Bangladesh
ranked 151out of 180 countries -- the
constant violations of human rights
involving alleged prosecutions,
arrests of journalists, and restricting
access to electoral information under
the aegis of the Digital Security Act
resulted in the detention of at least
20 journalists along with 60 others in
2020.
It is in this environment that more
recent newspaper outlets like Kaler
Kontho and Dhaka Tribune made
their entry into the industry -- and
increasingly, one sees a prominent
focus on citizens’ columns or op-eds
being an alternative yet cautious
medium, to celebrate the successes
of Bangladesh whilst being resolute
in pointing out systematic flaws
prevalent in our society.
It would be incorrect to say
that the editorial leadership in our
country has not been vocal in their
collective concerns regarding the
Digital Security Act and the increasing
tendency for media outlets to practice
self-censorship. As we celebrate 50
years of independence, it is our hope
that this form of condemnation and
demand for reform when it comes to
issues of press freedom, continues
-- but does so in a much more united
manner.
In January 2018, the information
minister indicated that there
were 3,025 registered print media
in Bangladesh -- 1,191 of these were
daily newspapers. Of the dailies, 470
are based in Dhaka. But more than
numbers, press freedom depends
on the reciprocity of the state to be
open to criticism and be engaging in
constructive dialogue.
If issues such as the arrest of
journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol, the
death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in
prison, and the inability to institute
justice for the Sagor-Runi murders
are swept under the rug as solitary
incidents, then we as citizens remain
concerned -- because they are not.
These incidents and the current
environment in which media operates
is symptomatic of the arenas which
Bangladesh needs to immediately
address if it wants to make its
developmental journey sustainable
and accountable to the electorate.
And this perhaps is the primary
challenge of print media and its allies.
Bringing those in power to account,
not for the sake of doing so, but
due to the impending need for truly
internalizing the spirit of 1971 into our
state-society relationship.
Most recently, when the editorial
leadership was formulating an
appropriate response to the
bombshell Al Jazeera documentary,
netizens in particular were adamant
in calling out the inability of the press
to openly critique the government
and its institutions.
However, it is the opinion of the
writer of this piece, that on February
3, 2021, the Dhaka Tribune editorial
team aptly provided the most
accurate depiction of the current
situation with regards to freedom of
speech and expression -- they stated
that the “current state of media and
defamation law in Bangladesh, and
how it is interpreted by the judiciary,
makes it unwise for any Bangladeshi
media house to venture into any
kind of meaningful comment on the
controversy.”
While accurate, it brings forth the
following questions:
What is the future of press
freedom in Bangladesh? How
concerned should citizens be with
regards to the helplessness of media
houses to publish independent
commentaries and stories that may
be critical of the government? Even
by being in positions of institutional
and social privilege, if mainstream
media outlets are suppressed and
their employees harassed, then what
of the constitutional rights of citizens
to practice free speech?
These are questions with which
this nation remains concerned, either
publicly on social media or privately
across dinner table conversations --
and these concerns are not mutually
exclusive to us celebrating the birth
centenary of this country’s architect
and rejoicing half a century of
independence. It is because we love
Bangladesh and its future that we
remain concerned with the curbing of
press freedom -- and this concern will
endure until we find a solution.
As a reader of this newspaper, I
ask the Dhaka Tribune and its parallel
media outlets to continue fighting in
their quest to protect the integrity of
independent journalism and work
towards disseminating accurate
information to the public. Do not
be partisan in publications, but be
bold in calling out those who harm
the fabric of our democracy -- your
challenges are multiple, but your
obligation to Bangladesh is superior.
Felicitations on your 8th
anniversary -- we hope that as you
grow as an outlet, you judiciously
practice and preach your motto of
providing the news we want. No more,
no less. l
Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed is a Toronto-based
banking professional. He is a regular
columnist for the Dhaka Tribune and The
Daily Star. He can be reached at aftab.
ahmed@alum.utoronto.ca.
4
The heart of a nation:
Bangladesh
at 50
Bringing those in power to account,
not for the sake of doing so -- but
due to the impending need for truly
internalizing the spirit of 1971 into our
state-society relationship
These concerns
are not mutually
exclusive to us
celebrating the
birth centenary
of this country’s
architect and
rejoicing half
a century of
independence
Thursday, July 15, 2021 | Ashar 31, 1428
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