Tuhin sarwar,Bangladesh-
Bangladesh’s current Awami League government is no longer comfortable with freedom of speech, and it does not take criticism easily. Indeed, the longer it remains in power, the more censorious it is. It is true that since the country’s independence, all governments have at some level been at war with independent journalism and journalists, but the situation is particularly dire now. Those who cross a particular line, often suffer serious repercussions — and many journalists in Bangladesh have in recent years been threatened, or arrested.
When the Awami League formed the government in 2009, Bangladesh was ranked 121st in the Free Media Index. Bangladesh has reached the 162nd position in the last 13 years. Libya ranks 143rd, and Afghanistan 156th.
Bangladesh Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina commented in her usual sarcastic language after the publication of the Reporters Without Borders index, “Now everyone can talk, can do talk shows. Of course, I know that. After talking a lot say, we are not allowed to talk. But when you talk on talk shows, no one holds your face or throat. Everyone can say whatever they want.”
However, reality says otherwise.
If we start with a literal example of holding the face, the best example of this was the internationally renowned photographer and journalist Shahidul Alam. In 2018, he criticized the government in an event of the international media Al Jazeera regarding the ongoing movement of students demanding safe roads in Bangladesh. After some time, policemen in white clothes in three cars picked up Shahidul Alam from his house in Dhaka. Under intense pressure, when the police were forced to arrest him and bring him publicly, Shahidul Alam was brought to the court premises with his face covered so that he could not say anything.
Or it can be said about journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol. Kajol, who once worked as a photojournalist in the daily Samakal and Vanik Barta, was editing a fortnightly magazine called Pakshakal. On March 9, 2020, a case was filed against him by Saifuzzaman Shikhar, a ruling party member of Parliament from Magura-1 Constituency in Dhaka’s Sherbangla Nagar Police Station, based on a Facebook post. After that, Kajol was blindfolded and kept hidden for 53 days in front of Bangla Academy. Finally, he was arrested by the BGB from the Benapole border in Jessore as an intruder in his own country.
Digital weapon to control journalism
On May 11, Information Minister Hasan Mahmud rejected the report of Reporters Without Borders and said, “If the journalist himself is afraid, the government will not do anything.” In other words, it is the journalist’s responsibility to create fear, but not the government’s responsibility to create an atmosphere and culture of fear. What could be more ironic?
In the same event, the Information Minister claimed that the Digital Security Act was not enacted to harass journalists. However, facts and figures tell a completely different story.
According to human rights organization Article Nineteen, 173 cases were filed against journalists in the first 171 weeks after the digital security law was enacted. In 2019, there were 63 cases under this law. In 2020, 41 cases were filed under the Digital Security Act, and 75 journalists were accused in these cases. Of these, 32 people were arrested. In 2021, 35 cases were filed, and 71 journalists were accused. Among them, 16 people were arrested.
According to Article Nineteen, a total of 188 cases have been filed against journalists in 2021, including the Digital Security Act and other laws. 353 people have been accused Police and RAB have made 51 of these cases against journalists 79 have been done by members of Awami League and its affiliated organizations 130 cases have been filed based on false information The percentage of such cases is 69% Means harassment is the only purpose of these cases.
According to the research of the private media development organization “Samsti”, 250 cases have been registered under the Digital Security Act from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Only 18% of these cases have been charged with cybercrime. The remaining 82% alleged offenses by publishing information or opinions online or in newspapers. Meanwhile, 46% of these 82% cases were filed by politicians (i.e. Awami League) or leaders of political party organizations (of the party). 23% were sued by members of law enforcement agencies on their own initiative. And 29% of the defendants in the case are journalists.
According to the human rights organization Law and Arbitration Center (ASK), in the last 10 years of Awami League rule, 2 thousand 312 journalists have been insulted, harassed, and threatened with disappearance and death. Another 30 journalists were killed, disappeared, and kidnapped.
Transition to party propaganda
Journalists have not only been muzzled, but most of the media in the country have been behaving virtually like party propaganda machines for the last 10 years.
According to a survey conducted by the Washington-based International Republican Institute (IRI), 68% of people in Bangladesh depend on television as a source of news. Apart from state-owned channels, there are currently 30 TV channels in the country. Among these, 5 out of these 30 (Yamuna, Baisakhi, Bangla Vision, RTV, and Desh TV) channels received no-objection certificates during the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) rule (2001 to 2006); The remaining 25 channels got the no-objection certificate between 2009 and 2013, i.e. during the Awami League period. Also, Awami League has given a no-objection certificate for 15 more TV channels. But the frequency of these channels is either not approved yet or they have not started broadcasting.
A research report by the Center for Governance Studies (CGS) has revealed the ownership details of most of these TV channels. One thing is very clear from that, and that is, about one-third of the TV channels are fully or partially owned by people who are directly related to the Awami League government (such as members of parliament, businessmen related to the Awami League, etc.).
The difference with North Korea is little
After the 2018 elections in Bangladesh, based on the results of the elections, the leading newspaper Washington Post said at the beginning of a report that the results of these elections were a reflection of any election results in Syria or North Korea.
In the question of media freedom, Bangladesh is compared with North Korea.
North Korea (180th) ranks at the bottom of the free press index. This dictatorial country is particularly known for maintaining 100% authority over the people.
The main source of news for the vast majority of people in the country is essentially one: state-owned Korean Central Television. Which is essentially the mouthpiece of North Korea’s only political party, the Workers’ Party of Korea.
North Korea has no privately owned companies, and no corporate capital. The only foreign media outlets in the country are AFP and Kyodo News, which are heavily monitored by government forces.
In Bangladesh, however, there are privately owned media. The media has corporate capital and all major foreign news agencies have news-gathering operations in Bangladesh. This is the only reason why Bangladesh is still 18 steps ahead of North Korea in the free media index.