UN concern over freedom of expression situation

The United Nations has expressed its concern over freedom of speech and democratic practices in our country. The UN said, civil society and freedom of speech are under threat not only from the extremists but also from the government itself. If the ruling party fails to understand the gravity of the present situation and shun its highhanded attitude, the country will head towards further conflicts and unrest which will not bring anything positive for anyone. We understand talk shows on TV channels are being censored. A few days ago as I was taking a cup of tea in a roadside stall, I heard an elderly man lamenting that he does not watch Bangladeshi channels these days as most of the channels appear to be following the footsteps of Bangladesh Television which is state owned and hardly delivers credible news. It is now a talking point around the country that a kind of censorship operates over the media which, if true, is only tarnishing the image of the government and hurting the basic rights of the people. People are now more inclined to read news from the social media and alternative news sources. Let us not forget that we can drive the evils and undemocratic forces off the society only through upholding human rights and democratic values. The ruling party should honour the UN concern and take appropriate actions to restore international trust.  
Sajjad Hossain
Gulshan,  Dhaka.