Human Rights Watch urged the Bangladesh government to immediately revoke a new media policy which the New York-based watchdog said imposes draconian restrictions on media freedom.
Donors should make it clear to the government that limits on freedom of expression that violate international law are unacceptable, the rights organisation said in a report published on its website on September 3 .
"This policy exemplifies how little appreciation the government has for free speech," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
"This vague policy will allow the government to take arbitrary action against those it sees as its political opponents and could be a precursor to legislation that would lead to censorship and criminal penalties," he said.
The policy, which was published in the official government gazette on August 6, contains overly broad language and imprecise definitions that appear aimed at significantly curtailing critical reporting, claimed in the report.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's veiled threats in defence of the media policy are of particular concern, it noted.
Speaking with reporters on August 28, she warned journalists not to "cross the line" set down in the new guidelines, the rights body said, quoting local media.
She was quoted as saying: "Don't try to cut off the branch you are sitting on. You too will fall. I think a hint is enough for the intelligent."
In its introductory paragraph the policy states that it is necessary for the government to create a framework for determining whether broadcasts are consistent with the history, ideology, and spirit of the country's 1971 Liberation War and Bangladesh's social, cultural, geographical, and political tradition and values.
The clause restricting the reporting of "anarchy, rebellion, or violence" seems aimed at limiting the reporting of opposition protests, the HRW said.
"This policy is a frontal assault on media freedom, which is essential as a check on government power, corruption, and human rights abuses, among many other issues," Adams said.
"It empowers an increasingly authoritarian state with tools to go after critics. It needs to be revoked if the government is serious about its commitment to freedom."
The policy states that a broadcast commission will be formed by law, and that the commission's duties include monitoring compliance with the broadcast policy.
The UN Human Rights Committee, which interprets the covenant, has stated that states may not prohibit criticism of institutions.
Hasina claimed that the media policy was modelled on the BBC media policy guidelines. But the foundations underlining the BBC policy are absent from the Bangladeshi policy, Human Rights Watch pointed out.
The HR agency noted that the slippery slope allowed by the media policy could have broad-ranging effects and that no media area is exempt from its reach.
On September 3, 2014, the government issued a ban on English titles in local movie productions. The media policy includes a provision that instructs broadcasters "to be careful about pure Bengali pronunciation, and the contamination of Bengali language, distortion and pronunciation of Bengali to the tune of foreign languages have to be avoided."
"The new media policy appears to be little more than an attempt to establish a state ideology and set a trap for critics," Adams said.
"It's almost like the government is living in a bygone era when it could tell people what to think, watch, and read. The government should realise that in the digital age those days are over."
ICT cautions HRW
Meanwhile, the International War Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Dhaka cautioned Human Rights Watch (HRW) while resolving a rule against the US-based rights body that faced contempt charges.
The ICT-1 headed by Justice Enayetur Rahim pronounced Thursday the verdict on the ruling, reports bdnews24.com.
The prosecution brought contempt charges against the HRW on Aug 20 last year, after it questioned the trial process of Jamaat-e-Islami guru and war-crimes convict Ghulam Azam.
In a statement, the group's Asia Director Brad Adams had said, "The government has got the conviction it wanted, but it has failed to ensure a fair trial that settles once and for all whether Ghulam Azam was guilty."
The tribunal lacked evidence to convict the former Jamaat-e-Islami chief, it had alleged.
Adams, Asia associate Storm Tiv and HRW's board of directors were asked to explain why they questioned the trial, the role of the judges and damaged the court's image.
US Ambassador Dan Mozena had expressed concern about the legal action against HRW while asserting that it was a 'very respected organisation.'
