The cabinet on August 04 approved the National Broadcast Policy-2014, keeping a wide scope for the government to misuse it in the name of maintaining standard of news, programmes and advertisements in the electronic media. Once in force, all contents of radio and television will come under strict government monitoring. False, discriminatory and misleading information and statistics must be avoided in news and programmes, according to the draft policy.
Some main features of the policy include upholding of the spirit of the Liberation War, protecting the country's language, culture and values as well as broadcasting news related to development. The government has claimed the policy was made to ensure freedom of speech, free flow of information, social responsibility of the media.
The policy will restrict airing of programmes that satirise national ideals, undermine people and harm unity and solidarity in the country. It also aims to prohibit broadcast of programmes that may fuel separatism and unrest and create hatred among different castes, creeds and religions. The policy will restrict airing of news or programmes that intrude into privacy, impede state security and hurt religious values and non-communal spirit. It will not allow any news or programmes in favour of any country, which in turn might prove harmful to other countries and thus affect relations with friendly nations. Under the policy, news that can encourage mutiny, anarchy and violent activities and inspire corruption directly or indirectly will have to be avoided. It also prohibits advertisements demeaning or ridiculing the armed forces and law enforcement agencies. Photos or videos that hurt people's feelings, such as murders, bodies of victims of accidents or suicide, torture of people or animals and victims of rape cannot be shown or aired.
The advertisement industry will have to be restructured significantly to follow the policy, which bans direct or indirect inclusion of the Liberation War, the Language Movement and the Independence Day in any advertisement to 'uphold their dignity'. Radio and television cannot broadcast and telecast any advertisement without obtaining a clearance certificate. The advertisers will collect the certificate from the 'respective organisations' on their own and give it to the broadcasters. Nationally important establishments like parliament, Prime Minister's Office, Bangabhaban, court, cantonment area, Shaheed Minar and the national mausoleum cannot be shown in advertisements for any product.
The Information Ministry will implement the policy until the formation of an independent broadcast commission. A law will be enacted for the full implementation of the policy. The Information Ministry would form a search committee to establish the commission.
The draft National Broadcasting Policy, adopted by the cabinet, contains some provisions which are not consistent with the principles of a free and independent media. A free and open media provides the best means of protection against such concerns, by providing platforms for opposing viewpoints to be addressed.
The government move to strictly monitor and regulate the media will ultimately turn out to be a Sword of Democles hanging over it. We are deeply concerned about the extremely dangerous policy the government is taking to muzzle the media.
The draft, especially the contents including advertisement sections, shows that the government wants to strictly control the media. Media personalities opined that there was no need for formulating a policy that might curb media freedom. Media professionals and experts oppose any policy that may curb the independence of the mass media.
Without free media, a democratic government tends to run like a dictator. This is particularly true in case of developing countries. The government must encourage further freedom of media to develop its efficiency. Constructive criticism in fact helps it to be effective in both economic and political fields. Even the socialist regimes have realised, although a little too late, that it is a good policy to allow criticism of the government to some extent.
There is hardly anyone who would disagree with the statement that democracy is not running properly in Bangladesh. Our parliament is ineffective. We believe in negative politics. Instead of helping economic growth, we are encouraging stagnation. Strangely enough, governments, in a position to do something, try to follow the bad instances left by their predecessors.
We fail to understand why the party (or parties in power) in its bid to punish the opposition, actually punishes the general public. It is time for all the politicians, particularly of the major parties, to think positively for establishment of true democracy in Bangladesh.
We must note that the Awami League had curtailed the freedom of the press by formulating the Press and Publication Act, 1973 and the Special Powers Act, 1974. It cancelled declaration of all the newspapers except four when one-party rule under BAKSAL was introduced in the country in 1975.
It will be wise to appoint an independent broadcast commission comprising competent, honest persons as the first step to initiate formulation of the policy. Then take all the stakeholders on board, consult them in order to come up with a comprehensive time-befitting national broadcast policy. Since a wrong procedure was followed to enunciate the policy, its outcome has naturally been flawed and anomalous.
We hope that the government must pay attention to the objections raised by experienced journalists, political parties, civil society members and human rights organisations and revise the proposed policy so that it cannot be misused to undermine freedom of expression.
The writer works for global marketing of seafood from Bangladesh.
bari@blacktigerint.com
Free media and democracy
M. H. Bari | Published: August 09, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: August 08, 2014 21:25:36
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