Unheard Voices

Thu 6 Sep 2007

61 Responses to “CSB news : Punish Guilty without shutting channel down”

1. Rumi Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 7:30 pm

   I was planning a blog on this matter and exactly I was planning to use the same words, lines and raise promises made in recent businessmen meeting.

   Very well written tiktiki.

   You can add one more event in the timeline…

   Two days after getting the warning from CTG, the father of the owner, Salahuddin Quader Chy is sent back to jail cell. It is important to note that all the other on trial VIPs , who managed to get a hospital bed, didn’t have to go back yet to their jail cell.

   CSB is a 24 hr news only channel and very professional as I hear.
   When a society tend to close down, the first victim usually is free flow of information.

   Government warned CSB for showing a news not for broadcasting a false or fabricated news. Can’t CSB closure wait until CSB response is examined by the government? Also question comes, why SQ Chy will have to furnish a fake letter to set up such a huge investment when he was very much in the government? He could have easily gotten a genuin letter.

   Now we have all the TV channels who stopped broadcasting many regular political roundtables, and discussions. Certain channels are rumoured to have received a government approved guest list who can be invited for polityical round tables.

   Indeed things are moving fast.

2. AsifY Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 7:53 pm

   Tiktiki,

   Thanks for dealing with the business side of this as well. Excellent point that is often overlooked in the middle of all the shouting for/against freedom of information.

3. Asif S. Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 8:21 pm

   You all remember the time when Bangladesh was selected by Goldman, Sachs as one of the Next 11 countries to watch out for as the next potential tiger. The ranking was done after researching 150 something countries based on a scoring system known as Growth Environment Score. There were 13 variables on which the scoring was done on.

   There were the infrastructural ones
   Education, Life expectency, PCs, Phones, Internet and importantly the following economic and socio-political ones:

   Government deficit,
   External debt,
   Inflation
   Investment
   Openness
   Political Stability,
   Rule of law
   and Corruption.

   Even for argument’s sake if we say we score big on corruption since 1/11, how do you think we would score on the other 7?

   If the policy holders can answer that showing gains, only then we can say we are moving forward. Those who in this blog cry hoarse on corruption, ignore the other elements which are equally essential for an economic turn around. Perhaps, an economist can provide some cold, hard numbers on those other areas.

   Govt. can ignore the CPJ ( I am sure they will come out with one on CSB) and Amnesty rights reports to the peril of Bangladesh because these reports all add weight on how a country is perceived in openness, political stability, rule of law and investment climate.

   You can shut down channels, shut up dissenting opinions, take student and teachers to jail but with each of those actions our ranking on the scoring systems goes more and more on a downward spiral.

   Alas, if we could only look at the big picture for a change.

4. NiRBashito Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 9:32 pm

   One cannot ignore the irony of the foul-mouthed thug and ex-al-Badr Sa Qa Chow getting paid back in his own coins. Not to mention his “millions of dollars” earned through smuggling of arms for who knows where that he invested into a “news channel” going up in smoke! As they say, “Easy come, easy go!”

5. NiRBashito Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 9:44 pm

   (corrected:) Also, one should be wary of the “professionalism” practiced by Sa Qa Chow (or any of his progeny) — there is ample reason to believe his channel was behind the instigation of the [post-DU] country-wide violence after everything seemed to be settling down, with Gen MU Ahmed apologizing and withdrawing the troops from the Campus. The biggest immediate beneficiary of this CG’s failure will be the thugs and goondas of BNP. (Jamaat will benefit no matter who succeeds or fails — and historically, Sa Qa Chow and Jamat are linked through their ‘71 activities as well as support of the recent terrorism with help from Pakistani ISI.)

6. Ahbab Aziz Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 11:32 pm

   Cynics,

   Only a few days back, one of the highest circulated dailies of Bangladesh, Amader Shomoy, published, as a lead story, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s call for ‘guerilla war’ against the Bangladesh Army, terming it as a force that ‘can sell patriotism’. Still, how can you say that freedom of speech is throttled in Bangladesh???

7. Tanim Says:
   September 6th, 2007 at 11:48 pm

   This is really a “sad” news. I am starting to lose the respect that I had left for the CTG. I felt that there was going to be backlash because ofdouchebag Mainul’s embarrasing moment, but to close the channel is really unfirtunate. It seems they have underestimated the power of the CTG and are getting burned for it. Forget the democratic process, if they are violating the inherent rights like freedom of speech, I can’t imagine what length they will go to to ensure their dominance.

8. SC Says:
   September 7th, 2007 at 12:31 am

   #4 Ahbab
   These people are so blind!! Bangladesh is inundated with freedom of speech specially Highest Circulated Daily “Amader Somoy”. I heard even the dumbs started speaking, hence they shut down the ‘Deaf and Dumb’ school at Purana Polton.

9. tacit Says:
   September 7th, 2007 at 1:23 am

   A call for armed struggle against Bangladesh’s military, by the person who wrote the song that commemorates one of our proudest achievements as a nation, and only one newspaper carried the news. That seems normal to you?

   The only people allowed to criticize the Communist Party in Soviet Russia were the ones with undoubtable loyalty to the Soviet regime: members of the KGB.

10. sufibaba_1967 Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 2:45 am

    Rumy, Asif Y, Asif S,

    Can you please clarify your position on CSB been caught red handed for forging a Government document against which their frequency was allocated. CSB has not denied the charges. I agree with the business and investment angle. But are you suggesting that the administration turns a blind eye and allow CSB to continue with transmission for sake of commerce; even if they indeed forged signature of the Sr. Asst. Secretary in charge of issuing the NOC for frequency allocation? Would it not instead had given the wrong signal to the investors/business community that nothing has changed and some people are still above law?

    Dont get me wrong. CSB is/was still my favorite news channel in BD. I feel it’s standard is parallel to any other good news channel in the world. But that will not allow me to blame the government for going after them for forging signature of a civil servant.

    Whether CSB was picked on the first place for breaking emergency law is a completely different argument altogether. If they were, I protest. But it does not override their own crime of forgery.

    Rumy

    Because it was SQ Chy, I tend to believe that the letter was indeed forged. Anyone who knows SQ, is aware of his reputation for cutting corners and blatant disregard to law.

    Cheers

11. Rumi Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 3:12 am

    sufibaba

    This is what i learn from shada kalo blog.

    What they submitted was an application with a forged approval (No-Objection Certificate) from the Information ministry to BTRC, and got their frequency allocation. Two days later, the Information ministry issued the real approval, and that letter also ended up in CSB’s file at the BTRC. Recently the duplicate approvals with two dates and two reference numbers were discovered, and CSB was doomed. It did not help their cause that during a show-cause hearing, they sent a peon with some files but no concrete answers to BTRC.

    Now the Information ministry had canceled the NOC, which rendered the frequency allocation void.

    And this was how I responded,

    Those who worked in Bangladesh corporate world will probably understand why the duplicate thing happened.
    Corporate world is run by a bunch of well paid managers and under whom works an army of young junior officers. This job is their lifeline in the very difficult job market. These youngmen are those who will be out in street all day hopping from govt office to govt office dealing with all paperwork, permission etc.

    I can guess, CSB was under pressure to finish all the paperwork before BNP steps down. So some manager or even a young offcer could not wait for the paperwork time. A fake permission was submitted for the next batch of paperworks with a good intention that the genuine one will be put in the file as soon as it is approved.
    I doubt the owners knew of it.

    However after reading your warning about SQC, I tend to agree, a forgery may be possible by him.

    Still I do not believe shutting down the whole channel is a sane idea without giving them the chance of self defence.

    What about a hefty ( 5 crore taka) fine?

    Didn’t your company ever bribe a government official? Now if that is made public, would it be fair to shut down your company making hundreds jobless?

    As tiktiki said very rightly, it takes an ocean full of toil and sweat to build smething, but nothing can be easier than destroying it.

    Please don’t cheer in destructions.

    Rumi

12. bdfact Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 4:35 am

    Just wondering if the letter from UN SG one the eve of 1/11 was also ‘fake’

13. AsifY Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 4:36 am

    sufibaba bhaijaan,

    My position is that criminals should be punished appropriately. The pain of the punishment should be directly proportional to the size of the crime.

    At the same time, I also advocate some sort of pragmatism in dealing with “corruption”. I’ve said before on this blog, and I’ll say it again: business people and other private sector individuals are not creators of corruption but the VICTIMS of a corrupt system. You cannot punish them in the same way that you punish the creators of the system, aka politicians and their cronies.

    That being said, CSB is a case, much like NTV, where this distinction is blurry in that both are owned by businessmen-cum-politicians. Well shut it down if that is where the cost-benefit analysis leads you.

    But keep in mind that there are costs to shutting down: e.g. the losses being incurred by innocent people who worked there and the message this is sending out to businesspeople in general. That was all I’m trying to say in my comment above: congratulating tiktiki on concentrating on the business side of things, rather than simply on the social side of things. We may have different opinions about “freedom of press”, but I think we can all agree that more businesses and private enterprise is good for Bangladesh. Can’t we?

    A bit unrelated to CSB: personally, I would like to see a bit more understanding from this technocratic government when it comes to NGOs and the private sector. Those two groups do not catch a break under political governments either. Expect a write-up on this soon:).

    Hope I’ve made my personal position a bit more clear. Thanks for your interest. Just a small PS. I personally really dislike SQC a LOT.

14. Borsha Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 5:04 am

    CSB is accused of running with forged approval. what about this GOVT? This Govt itself is illegal and extra-constitutional.
    If CSB was running with forged approval,CTG is operating without any approval.

15. KGazi Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 5:12 am

    Asif S, #3,
    “You can shut down channels, shut up dissenting opinions, take student and teachers to jail but with each of those actions our ranking on the scoring systems goes more and more on a downward spiral.”
    —-

    Asif, I heard above opinion from other people too, and am trying to understand it, - nothing personal.

    Students riot and terrorise the campus, teachers voice their support for such behaviour, the govt take them to jail. Who did the wrong here - the rioters, approving teachers or the law-enforcement?

    I seem to be getting an impression that the govt made some mistake by punishing the destruction. If we say the Govt were wrong, I think we seriously need to look at what message we are giving to people.

    Teachers should discourage anarchy, and property burning should be a crime - regardless of who, what, why the cause of the anarchy is.

    On corruption, right now the international perception of Bangladesh is basically “the most corrupt nation”. I heard that from US businessmen even before TI reports. Many are scared to do bisiness with BD. We need to move away from that image - regardless of whether our ranking as a tiger goes down or not.

    Otherwise the message sounds like - “its OK to allow CHEATING in SSC exams because we want a high percentage PASSING.” Ranking and scoring is not as important, but genuinity and STANDARDS, for BD to really be a great nation.

    Do we want to GROW as a nation of fraud Billionaires, or do we want to be famous as a squeeky-clean nation?

16. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 6:14 am

    K Gazi, (15), you are the same person who, when asked, what are the peaceful ways to show dissent currently in Bangladesh ,said people should blog about their dissention!! Nothing personal, but keeping that in mind I need to write to you because you are actually quite out of touch if you are not aware that only 3 percent of bd population has internet access.

    No I am not advocating corruption or punishment. Do you think Irene Khan of Amnesty is advocating corruption in her letter as well? I will say it again.

    Asking for due process for a supposed crime is not equal to asking for no punishment for the guilty.

    2nd thing about corruption is about being pragmatic and consistent. You will find dirt in how every single business was set up in Bangladesh, can we afford to shut all of them off? A policy is a bad policy when it does not take the macro situation into account. I am sure you will come back with your same argument. But if you can understand this one, it will be easier. Opposing the Iraq invasion is not equal to opposing the US army. Opposing military rule in a democratic country is not equal to being anti-military. Opposing the inhuman treatment at Guantanamo is not equal to supporting the terrorists and not asking for their punishment. Similarly, trying to find the root cause of Al-Qaeda terrorism (See Farid Zakaria’s “why do they hate us” in Newsweek post 9/11) is not equal to supporting destruction. If you can understand the nuances of the differences in those position, you will be able to understand my position here as well.

    Sufibaba,

    See the example of Warid on original thread. If you can justifiably say that you have never done any corruption in Bangladesh and if you think all those deals you have made in Bangladesh with bribes should be cancelled, only then you can say shutting down the channel is justified. My position is simple: Arbitrary use of law must be stopped. If you can not shut down all the businesses that has problem with paperworks, you should not shut down any. Rather you should have financial penalty. Selective use of the law is what causes business confidence to suffer. If I am a businessman and I know that from here on if I do A, B and C, I will be violating the law, I will be abide by it. But if I know that I MAY or MAY not get punished for D, E, F done long time ago when the rules of the game were different, it will cause uncertainty and lack of confidence that will prevent me from investing new money. Rest has been clearly articulated by Rumi and AsifY. Agree with them. Specifically in this case of CSB, when a real approval was eventually obtained, clearly this justifies financial penalty more than anything else.

    I think Chief adviser himself admitted it and agreed on coming up with a concrete guideline on licenses, illegal structure,
    Consistency and pragmatism is key here.

17. Ahbab Aziz Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 7:38 am

    SC,

    You ‘heard even the dumbs started speaking, hence they shut down the ‘Deaf and Dumb’ school at Purana Polton.’ But, ‘they’ did not shut down the paper publishing call for ‘guerilla war’ against their own selves. Really ‘these people are so blind.’!!!

    ——————————————–

    Tacit,

    “The only people allowed to criticize the Communist Party in Soviet Russia were the ones with undoubtable loyalty to the Soviet regime: members of the KGB.”

    Only you must know the ‘fact’ that ‘members of the KGB’ could even call for guerilla war against the Communist Party in Soviet Russia!!!

18. SC Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 7:45 am

    #15 KGazi
    Your adherence to law enforcement is appreciable. Like many of us, you are tired of violent political culture. But your frustration has reached a point you are in denial of cause-effect relationship. In another link you stated,
    [“ Lack of opportunity and suppression of rights are reasons for terrorism and anarchy” applies not just to Bangladesh, but 3 Billion people living in abject poverty, in various countries, most are suppressed, have no access to “democratic rights or opportunities”. But they are not engaged in daily Jalao Porao]. If you are right, I was reading news from a parallel world for last 30+ years. Only the form of violence might be different.
    Now since you are so puritan about application of laws, two clauses from the constitution of Bangladesh,

    7. Supremacy of the Constitution.
    (2) This Constitution is, as the solemn expression of the will of the people, the supreme law of the Republic, and if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution and other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

    58D. Functions of Non-Party Care-taker Government
    (1) The Non-Party Care-taker Government shall discharge its functions as an interim government and shall carry on the routine functions of such government with the aid and assistance of persons in the services of the Republic; and, except in the case of necessity for the discharge of such functions its shall not make any policy decision.

    Is this government making policy decisions? If yes, they are breaking the laws. Violent protest is not the only unlawful activity that needs to addressed.

19. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 8:36 am

    Ahbab, SC,

    Calm down, mates. First of all, censorship is not the essence of this post. We are looking at it from the economic angle but rest of the world would look at it as censorship.

    Regarding whether a censorship exists right now, Ahbab has gave an example. Unfortunately, without seeing the link and reading the news, it is is hard to judge the context. But as far as I know, all the tv channels have to send their news order (which news comes after which) for approval to higher authorities. Also currently
    there is a lot of self censorship going for the fear of persecution. This I know after talking to media people in Bangladesh. One case in example, no political talk shows in electronic media are not allowed any more. So there is no room to show any critical views.

    lastly you don’t have to take our word for it. Here is a report by international org rsf.
    http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=70272

    Let’s have an open mind and call spade a spade. Just as we welcome and cheer on the moves by CTG to include biharis, expats in the voter list and their initiative to talk to the business, we can critic when we don’t like something. Its unhealthy and does not help CTG if you don’t point out what’s potentially suicidal for them.

20. PoorLand Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 9:20 am

    Lets just see what exactly this case is … lets put aside ‘censorship’ or ‘conspiracy’ theory for a while … according to Daily Star it says …

    ———–
    “A five-member probe committee of the information ministry earlier recommended turning off the broadcast of CSB as the channel had committed forgery to obtain frequency allocation.”

    “On last Sunday, decision to shut down the channel gained grounds as the CSB officials during an hour-long meeting with the BTRC officials failed to produce any convincing document on frequency allocation, said sources.”

    “The probe body headed by Kamal Uddin, joint secretary (development) of information ministry, found that CSB News got the frequency allocation by submitting a fake application two days before submitting the original one to the information ministry on October 19, 2006.”

    “Under the Telecommunications Act, 2001, committing forgery to acquire frequency allocation is a punishable offence, which can lead to cancellation of the allocation.”

    “CSB submitted an approval letter of the information ministry before the BTRC on October 17 and got the frequency allocation. The probe body found that the signature on the approval letter was forged, as the information ministry had not issued any approval letter to CSB on that particular day.”

    “The probe committee, formed on July 31, is of the opinion that CSB News might have acquired the frequency allocation with worst intentions. It also observed that a number of officials at the information ministry were involved in the forgery.”
    ———–

    Available information on this case is rather bit confusing to me. It seems in a regular case one need 3 approval ( 2 from information ministry and 1 from BTRC ) to obtain a broadcasting licence.

    1. First approval letter from information ministry.
    2. Frequency allocation from BTRC ( based on first approval letter from information ministry )
    3. Final approval letter from information ministry.

    It seems for whatever reason ( perhaps to bypass some terms and conditions ), CSB forged that first approval letter of information ministry, which obviously leading to the punishment ( not yet finalized ) cancellation of the frequency allocation from BTRC. In the same time the final approval letter from information ministry become invalid or canceled. My interpretation could be wrong, but please read the following link from Daily Ittefaq for a hint.

    http://www.ittefaq.com/get.php?d=07/09/07/w/n_zmrvut

    It seems the allegation against CSB is correct, and since we experienced ETV controversy few years ago, I think authority has no choice but cancel the licence first. Its time to take serious action against these type of serious crime against law and constitution by household business group. I say put a case on those directors ( who was in charge ) of CSB, and put them in jail if the case proved correct, and fine CSB huge. Finally approve CSB the licence again in due process after once cancellation.

21. MRA Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 9:29 am

    I agree with Rumi that rather than shutting down a company Government can fine them and punish the responsible person. After all lot of people make their living doing job in that company. Why all the employee of the CSB will suffer for the SQ Chowdhury or some corporate manger’s forgery?

22. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 9:50 am

    Poorland,

    This offers a clear detail what happened.

    http://shadakalo.blogspot.com/2007/09/csb-news-shut-down.html

23. PoorLand Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 11:20 am

    Thank you Asif S. for the link.

    What I still don’t understand is, how come Ittefaq claim specifically that 2 NOC has been canceled by information ministry, of which one dated 19th Oct. 2006 and other dated 15th Oct. 2006 with official reference number 845 and 832 respectively. Isn’t it clearly says that there was 2 NOC issued officially by information ministry? If not then why they officially have to cancel the one that is forged or made up by someone?

    Another point is the NOC issued by information ministry on 19th Oct. required BTRC frequency allocation approval as condition, then again it says, to achieve BTRC frequency allocation needs NOC from information ministry! Isn’t it seems confusing as a dead lock?

    Anyway nothing serious, just a confusion from my part.

24. Journey 2 infintive Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 11:21 am

    #6-

    Aziz, Can you kindly tell what is the freedom of speech in your definition?

    8#
    SC
    “Bangladesh is inundated with freedom of speech specially Highest Circulated Daily “Amader Somoy”. I heard even the dumbs started speaking, hence they shut down the ‘Deaf and Dumb’ school at Purana Polton.”

    Ans: from where you have got this information that Amader shomoy is highest circulated news paper in Bangladesh. I am just curious to know. Basically lots of people even don’t know the name of Amader shomoy out side the Dhaka. Funniest thing of Naimul Islam khan is that he is publishing one false news in one day and very next day he feels sorry for his own write up and this is not one case. Even he was making lots of blanket comment of Ekushey Tv.

    Some days back this paper was advocating for Nizami and his last desire is that Moeen U Ahmed should take the presidency to save Bangladesh.

    To me Amaader shomoy means simply the wastage of shomoy.

25. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 11:59 am

    Agreed, poorland. Both are confusing.

    1. Why do you need to cancel a forged NOC.
    2. If NOC is required to get BTRC approval and not vice versa, then why is cancelling of BTRC approval points to cancelling of NOC.

    Also, the report on DS said the certain Information ministry officials were behind it as well. I have a feeling at that time, they said “accha emni NOC ekta diey rakhen ar BTRC approval ta niye rakhen, asholtato dui din pore ashtesei.”

    No clue. But I agree with what you are saying. All seem technicalities now for which shutting down the entire channel where 300 people are employed does not seem justified. The same way shutting down of Ekushey wasn’t. Since a valid NOC is in the file, then they should
    1. Fine the company for the forgery heavily
    2. Prosecute the guilty officials for forgery.
    3. Prosecute the Information ministry and the BTRC officials who played a part in it and bent the rules.

26. Rumi Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 12:19 pm

    The key to the whole issue was as Asif says,

    “accha emni NOC ekta diey rakhen ar BTRC approval ta niye rakhen, asholtato dui din pore ashtesei.”

    One more point, that has been missing here, we should as a nation start learning to appreciate professionalism and quality of achievement.

    Wheh Ekushey was killed I was immensely shocked as I really appreciated Ekushey’s quality of productions. ” Jonmo hok jotha totha kormo hok valo”.

    May be CSB is SQC’s, but the video mixing, streaming quality, the graphics, the informal on air interaction between anchors ( Which the anchors try much unsuccessfully in local TV channels in USA), the set design, the camera angle-panning expertise… are all the works of some highly talented very young men and women. Someday, I believe, we will be able to export skilled media workforce to western nations.

    Don’t want to start another AL-BNP fight again here but let me a bit blunt here. To judge professionalism, compare it with ATN Bnagla. You can’t turn ATN Bangla news (Although the newsteam has some of the best TV journalists in BD) without watching its big belly chairman walking somewhere with a ‘Gorur mala’, or getting some award or the greatest musician even born in this planet, the chairman’s wife is performing somewhere. This is not professional.

27. Ahbab Aziz Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 1:37 pm

    Asif S,

    This is the link on the call for ‘guerilla war’ against the Bangladesh Army:

    http://www.amadershomoy.com/news.php?id=195748&sys=3

    Can anyone tell me how many of the mainstream media of the countries, known as ‘developed’ and having ‘freedom’ of media, can publish/telecast/broadcast an open invitation for ‘guerilla war’ against its own Army, and that too as a lead story, as done by Amader Shomoy???

28. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    Very disturbing news. If he has indeed said, it was very irresponsible. I have very little respect for this man since the day he said the pictures in the media of AL goons with guns were created using photoshop. I also was immensely upset on how he took on Shahabuddin. Not unexpected coming from this guy. However, the way the media is being used this days, I will not be surprised if this was used to make the army folks anatagonistic towards Awami League. So this reports serves dual purpose, as you can see.

    Going back to the original question asked at 24, what is your definition freedom of media? Is this single report printed in a allegedly dgfi favoured newspaper (link attached in the original entry) the yardstick? The editor recently asked the army chief to take up presidency as a retirement option.

    Emergency rule has strict guideline over press. When the government itself is not claiming that there is no restriction on press, how are you claiming that there there is free media in Bangladesh?

29. Badal Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 2:26 pm

    Ahbab

    The Amamder Shomoy news link you are coming up with repeatedly is not an example of brave journalism publishing anti army news.
    A person with a reasonable IQ will understand that this is another DGFI propaganda to discredit AGC and raise nationalistic pro army josh.

    Go to army blogs and newletters. You may find the same news there.

    This news probably aimed at stimulating the power base of the rulers in Bangladesh.

30. Government shuts down Bangladesh’s first 24 hour news channel CSB | E-Bangladesh Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 3:47 pm

    [...] has the background and time line of events concerning CSB news in Dristipat blog. Shada Kalo sheds a light into the forgery [...]

31. Ehtesham H Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    Can we draw parallels between this and the democratic BNP govt closing ETV. What was our viewpoint on that ?

32. tiktiki Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 5:01 pm

    Ehtesham, indeed, there are lots of similarities. I touched on it in the original entry if read carefully. The way it was done here is a bit more short cut. Govt didn’t bother to worry about court. Just directly went to their office after their own inquiry and switched it off. In Ekushey’s case, they lost about 75million dollar in investment. Govt lost a whole lot of revenue it generated from VAT and ETV fees.

    I think the point you are trying to make is that our democratic government was equally bad in terms of making such arbitrary decisions that did not serve the public interest. You are exactly right. Here is where I am having trouble reconciling such actions from this government.

    When they came to power in Jan 11th, we all cheered. For all their moves we gave them unquestioned support assuming that whatever happened in the past is now over and things will change for the better. We gave up our rights to protest and speak freely thinking we won’t need to protest because this is our government. That means all the horrible things that the democratic governments had done in the name of the people, they won’t be repeated because this is a popular government. They are here to show what true governence is. Unfortunately, more and more the government is disappointing us to show that it is equally capable of taking stands that are arbitrary and injudicious. The government does not have the constitutional authority to make the changes it is making. People went by saying it has the people’s mandate. But when even that is slipping by what’s left for them to claim authority? If they are not all the more different from the very people they are criticizing so much, then how are they claiming moral authority in this war on corruption? Worse is as criticisms were getting louder, they have now shut down all possible means to show dissent. Are their other skeletons they are hiding? We have no way to know.

    Currently the most critical thing for all is to establish business confidence. Forget the politics and conspiracy. The economy is seriously stagnant. The growth has slowed down. That’s why my post was targetted purely from a business angle. If you check today’s news coverage worldwide, it is all being projected as a censorship attempt. People who are making these decisions also need to realize how this looks to the outside world. These are the news that destroys our image as an open nation where there is rule of law. These are serious impediments for new investment.

    Ps. I added additonal details to the timeline.

    Intriguing thing is the first news of this dubious forged document came out in — no prize for guessing — Amader shomoy. Subsequently the following day the enquiry committee was formed. All of this seems too efficient for me. By all means punish this people who did this forgery. But there is got to be a way out beyond shutting the channel down and unemploying 300 people and ruining business confidence even more.

33. tiktiki Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 5:06 pm

    What happened to Ekushey

34. journey 2infintive Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 5:47 pm

    I am worried about the ETV because same Amader shomoy was spreading venom against ETV along with Barrister Mainul. Surprising thing was that during this period High court was given verdict and Barrister Mainul and Aamader shomoy again spoke some stupid that Etv convinced wrong. any way I want to share you some thing today from E-Bangladesh-

    http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2007/09/07/government-shuts-down-bangladeshs-first-24-hour-news-channel-csb/#comments

    One Girl called Sonia hawladar who was the employee of CSB has placed a comment

    “Soneya // Sep 7, 2007 at 3:51 pm

    I am Sonia Hawladar. I was in job with CSB. But why did the newspaper ‘Amader Shomoy’ influence the army backed CTG to close our career? What is the benefit of ‘Amader Shomoy’? How can a Muslam bring harm to another Muslim? We cried a lot even our MD cried. How we, the newly unemployed people live now?”

    Despite I don’t like the word ‘MUSLIM’ , I am also asking CTG what is their answer on this.why does this poor girl indicate Amader Shomy?

    Thanks

    [journey 2infintive: Please be a little respectful in your word selection when speaking about a religion. You may not have meant anything bad, but your words sounded hateful towards a religion. : Admin]

35. Ehtesham H Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 7:18 pm

    Good point.
    This must have been already mentioned, I think
    if the govt is punishing the business, it is equally or more important to punish the
    govt elements responsible for it.

36. Ahbab Aziz Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 9:34 pm

    Skeptics,

    (1)I have never said that Bangladesh enjoys complete freedom of media. However, I think the current level of media freedom is no less than that during the period of dynastic rule of Khaleda and Hasina, and it is also not lower than that enjoyed in many countries, known as ‘democratic’.

    (2) You accuse the present Bangladesh govt. of suppressing news that goes against the Army. But, when the news of calling ‘guerilla war’ against the Army is published, you invent the Army’s support in favour of publishing that news. Isn’t it double standard? How can the Army generate public support in its favor by facilitating publication of news calling for its head to roll down?? Does any govt. want publication of any news calling the people to wage ‘guerilla war’ against it???

37. KGazi Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 9:35 pm

    Asif S,
    That was personal (out of touch), but I dont take it personally !
    I did say blogging can be ONE alternate form of showing dissent, (of course for those capable ). No form of showing dissent can be for the 100% population anyway - there are age sex health and other limitations for any method of showing dissent. But if 3% in BD can do blogging, that’s 4.5 million people - not a bad force, and probably a much bigger percentage than those who can physically participate in violent protest !

    Totally agree with your due-process points, but zero-tolerance clampdown on jalao-porao is also critical, because such anarchy is not proper due-process either, for negotiating with the govt, when the govt makes errors of judgement. Instead jalao-porao only creates havoc to economy, public security and services.

    SC #18,
    Current CTG is not comparable to a run-of-the-mill CTG, its more like an “emergency” CTG, therefore can there be any validity in referring to constitutional requirements of CTG procedures. Must keep current unique situation in context, as Const doesn’t say how CTG should operate when 2 PMs are in jail, either.

    Please see though if there is any reference to how students, teachers, police and law are treated (if at all) in Constitution under ANARCHY, so we can see if those situations are covered. That may be more relevant now to Const. laws.

    Rumi,
    Besides being a good TV channel, is there any evidence of more sinister underground connections with it, which we don’t know of? I mean what if the channel is funded and part-owned by a criminal Don in Dubai or something – I don’t know, or maybe has some “big fish” racket going on – which CTG doesn’t think necessary to announce for security reasons?

    For the CTG,
    – to avoid such speculations and popularity fallout in anti-corruption measures – best thing maybe do a press conference? (or make a CTG official website – need an ACC one for sure) and SPILL OUT the exact reasons why channel is threatened to shut down and not punished extraordinarily??

38. Asif S. Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 10:26 pm

    okay ahbab. since you decided to shout away your opinion without addressing the questions or the references, lets agree to disagree respectfully. I can’t see tritio matra in channel I, neither can I read my favourite zafar sobhan column in daily star. I used to be able to do that a year ago. so I don’t know how things are the same. but hey, you know much better and you seem to be much better informed through your favourite newspaper amadershomoy. peace.

39. Ehtesham H Says:
    September 7th, 2007 at 10:50 pm

    For Asif S

    You still have Zafar Sobhan
    http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=3049

40. tacit Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 12:52 am

    To chime in with #38, I think Prof. Zafar Iqbal actually stated in one of his columns how how his editor refused to run an article about the plight of fired jute mill workers until he changed it substantially.

41. journey 2infintive Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 5:50 am

    #37

    “For the CTG,
    – to avoid such speculations and popularity fallout in anti-corruption measures – best thing maybe do a press conference? (or make a CTG official website – need an ACC one for sure) and SPILL OUT the exact reasons why channel is threatened to shut down and not punished extraordinarily??

    Ans: Gazi, How can you be sure that CTG is going tp show the right reason behind that. The Govt which is scared of Criticism , showing power display like hooligans, forcing university teachers to be embarrassed in front of people at least they have big problem of the credibility.
    Way Barrister Mainul is threatening the general people it seems they are his Ittefaq Employees. Even after that you want to behave like ostrich I have nothing to say in here.

    #36

    Aziz I am asking you the same question can you show me any single main stream media is publishing so called “guerilla war” except your very famous Amader shomoy. I have huge respect for AGC . But I will be not surprised if Naimul Islaman Khan publish his

    famous ” Khoma Chaoa” against this report.

    This is the same Naimul Islam khan who has started Ajker Kagoj with aplomb but later on

    he was very much in consistent . Now it seems he starts a new trend which is ” Mockery of Journalism”

42. Ahbab Aziz Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 5:52 am

    Asif S,

    Could anyone dare to describe the Army as a force without ‘patriotism’ in Bangladesh during the pre-1/11 period? Does anyone have the guts to do so in any ‘developed’ and ‘free’ country?? Could Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s comments, on the Army, be published if the level of media freedom was more dismal than that in the pre-1/11 period??? Why couldn’t anyone, other than Amader Shomoy, publish or comment on his ranting against the Bangladesh Army???? Could it be possible because of this that Amader Shomoy is more pro-Army than others?????

43. AsifY Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 6:48 am

    journey to infinitive #34,

    Kichu money koiren na, but do we really need to know about whether you like the word “Muslim” or not?

    Secondly, how do you think that makes Muslims here feel when you say that? What do you think it says about you?

    Thirdly, if someone had replaced the word Muslim with members of any other religion, there would have been a huge outcry, including from me, a Muslim. Respect doesn’t go one way.

44. journey 2infintive Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 8:30 am

    Asif (Y) , I respect the sentiment of this girl very much. But I feel you misread me.

    I am also very much cautious because her sentiment is wrongly interpreted. I want to mean the application of word MUSLIM in this whole Episode. Some times It will bring wrong Signal to some people that generalization of the whole Muslim community. As for example

    If Mr Shatish or Ahmed spreading the venom against Mr Asish or Mr Ali that does not mean he is become the enemy of his whole community.
    But My Standing is always with this girl because I feel it is her honest point of view and I am really sorry it brings any wrong meaning in here

45. Asif S. Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 8:59 am

    Right on cue, Qurratul Ain Tahmina does a media review.

    http://www.prothom-alo.com/mcat.news.details.php?nid=NTg1Mjg=&mid=Mw==

46. AsifY Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 9:23 am

    journey to infinitive,

    Thank you for taking the time to explain your comment. Please accept my profuse apologies for misunderstanding it. If anything, I really appreciate the effort you made to give that disclaimer saying that those comments expressed her point of view and not necessarily yours. Yes, no group should be held responsible for the actions of a few of its members. Case closed as far as I’m concerned and apologies offered once again for the knee-jerk reaction.

47. journey 2infintive Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 10:48 am

    Asif (Y) Thanks For the reply and I think you should not say sorry to me. Because Fault is mine. I should very cautious about Selection

    and revision of Words. Thanks again Asif

48. Asif S. Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    7 September 2007

    Condemnation of closure of CBS News

    Reporters Without Borders has called on the interim government to reverse its decision to suspend the country’s only privately-run 24-hour news channel CSB News for a period of seven days.

    The worldwide press freedom organisation said it appeared the decision could be linked to the channel’s broadcasts of footage from anti-government demonstrations. “The closure of this channel looks suspect in the current climate,” it said.

    The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regularity Commission (BTRC) yesterday ordered a seven-day suspension of Chrono Satellite Broadcast (CSB) News, saying that a forged document had been found in its file applying for a frequency in October 2006. Officials had apparently falsified a letter to fit in with the deadlines set by the authorities.

    “Why deprive viewers of a source of independent news on the basis of the suspicion of a forged document?” asked Reporters Without Borders.

    “But this decision could be linked to broadcasts of demonstrations, despite requests from the authorities not to.” The Daily Star has reported that some members of the government accuse the channel of inciting students to demonstrate in Dhaka.

    Officials from the BTRC, accompanied by police, went to the channel’s offices early evening yesterday to stop it from broadcasting. The authorities gave CSB seven days to explain the circumstances in which the licence was granted. Failing that, the licence will be suspended under the Telecommunications Act of 2001. CBS was launched in February 2007 on the Telstar 10 satellite.

    “CSB News must be allowed to resume broadcasting while awaiting the regularisation of its final permission, Reporters Without Borders said, “If ultimately the channel is suspended, which we fear will be the case, it will threaten all the interim government’s efforts to allow greater freedom to the electronic media”.

    “Moreover we repeat our call on the government and the army to once again allow political talk shows,” the organisation said. The information ministry on 25 August called on several broadcasters, including CSB News, not to put out remarks hostile to the government.

49. KGazi Says:
    September 8th, 2007 at 4:41 pm

    journey 2infintive #41,

    Teachers in BD are not all saints, the shenanigans of some teachers are all too well known, so please dont blame the authority for questioning them. We should not treat teachers like Hanumans in N.Delhi who are given immunity to all nuisance mischief, even biting people and taking children away! There should be a limit to all (criminal) tolerance, even for teachers.

    Secondly, some people will never be content with whatever explanation the CTG gives - they will allege that even photos have been doctored! So you cannot keep everyone happy. But the crusade against crime and corruption must not stop just because SOME people dont believe the reasons.

    Being too soft on crime and corruption and making Bangladesh a paradise for “420’s” is why we are here today!

50. journey 2infintive Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 4:14 am

    #50

    K Gazi-

    “Teachers in BD are not all saints, the shenanigans of some teachers are all too well known, so please dont blame the authority for questioning them. We should not treat teachers like Hanumans in N.Delhi who are given immunity to all nuisance mischief, even biting people and taking children away! There should be a limit to all (criminal) tolerance, even for teachers.”

    Ans: what type of shenanigans Gazi? Then very next day I will tell Mr X is well known
    for his Anti establishment write up . so I will feel he is a threat.My same question to
    you why these army stuffs are not questioned because of their illogical activities to beat the people with out reason.
    Remember they should be more transparent. T
    what type of Tolerance you are speaking about ? The administration which is even

    scared to run any political talk show. They are popular only to very few people like you.

    Any way guys please read one artilcle of Mash-

    http://www.e-bangladesh.org/2007/09/09/i-will-not-be-silenced/

    Some days back Ittefaq has published a very disturbed report that Govt is sending some intelligence to make spy on the NRBS. I am not sure if this is the stand of Bangladesh Govt or not. It may be another Barrister Mainul’s amusing personal idea. But these sorts of reports have unnecessarily seized
    panic among the NRBS.

51. সিমু Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 4:13 pm

    কবে যে মিডিয়ার লোকজন একটু নিশ্চিন্তে চাকরি করতে পারবে। বাঙলা লেখা যায় কিনা টেস্ট করলাম।

52. KGazi Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 5:11 pm

    [admin: out of topic. please post it at a relevant thread. ]

    #50,
    Maybe out of topic, but just for response,
    I personally witnessed how DU teachers created tenders for EXPENSIVE scientific equipment ($100,000 +) which rusted UNUSED in their godown. Why? Just to make money from the sales, abusing DU and govt funds. Nowadays we hear students involved too in mastani and tenderbaji for such corruption.

    Finally, the public may be waking up:

    http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=3158

53. Banglarman Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 6:48 pm

    Journey to Infinitive #50:

    ” My same question to you why these army stuffs are not questioned because of their illogical activities to beat the people with out reason.”

    Which instances of beating you are talking about? Was it the fight that broke out at the football stadium which was resolved then and there followed by official apology? or Was it the DU Students/Mastans rampage to take down the whole country?

    If it is the second one, then Army were successful in controling the rioting quickly. I think it was the first time in BD’s history to quash or neutralize a highly organized disorder in such an efficient manner. It took the authorities only less than 2 days. I’m impressed by post rampage hunting down of troublemakers including the professors KGazi talked about. Its about time these guys answer for their actions. We cannot afford ANYMORE to have our universities be the place for turning our best and brightest to disfunctional citizens.

    I don’t think CTG was worried about talk shows as they were present till the day of rioting. Indoor politics is being opened from tomorrow. You can have your talk shows till you turn blue…

54. Concerned Citizen Says:
    September 9th, 2007 at 7:43 pm

    Another prospective

    Quote -

    “Short-term inconvenience brings long-term relief.”

    Business leaders at a dialogue on Bangladesh economy and future perspectives with the interim government on September 5 pleaded that wholesale drives against the corrupt, the black money-holders, tax dodgers, commodity hoarders, bank accounts, and the sources of money accumulation inquiries by the ACC and the NBR have caused panic among the business community. “We are passing sleepless nights in fear of NBR and ACC drives,” said Abu Motaleb of FBCCI.

    Why so? My brother, an entrepreneur in Comilla told me that since 1/11 he has been enjoying sound sleep for the first time in years.

    Mistakes can creep in, but does FBCCI have specific evidence of honest businessmen being harassed or persecuted since anti-corruption drives were activated. Are the FBCCI directors pleading that those members who are alleged to have engaged in corruption and unethical business practices should escape accountability and sleep peacefully?

    Unquote

    http://thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=3357

    Cheers

55. AsifY Says:
    September 10th, 2007 at 1:34 am

    I enjoyed the article by Prof. Dewan linked in comment #53. I even agreed with him at some points, especially the conclusion:

    “In the US, near a road or bridge repair site, we often see signs which read “Short-term inconvenience brings long-term relief.” The FBCCI must propagate this message to all its members. In fact, the executives of this august body should visit its district and sub-divisional level chapters and explain that the regulatory reform being introduced by this government is the last ditch hope for establishing market discipline long polluted by politicisation and unprecedented unethical business practices.”

    What I don’t get are these:

    1) “Mistakes can creep in, but does FBCCI have specific evidence of honest businessmen being harassed or persecuted since anti-corruption drives were activated”

    This sounds to me (and I welcome being corrected) as if he is putting the burden of proof on the accused rather than on the accuser. It is the prosecutors of corruption who must prove the charges. The FBCCI is not oblidged to defend the track records of its arrested members. Innocent until proven guilty, or maybe I’m wrong there too.

    2) “Corrupt politicians, public servants, and business people are partners in crime — they’re mutually parasitical”

    Bravo. I’m glad someone has said that. How many public servants (not public servants turned politicians like MKA) have come under the ACC’s radar? Very few as far as we can tell. I’ve heard of some post-shifting, but that is hardly arrest and incarceration. Wouldn’t Professor Dewan have been serving the anti-corruption drive better by highlighting this aspect of it? Or perhaps he believes that businesspeople were more responsible for a corrupt polity than the bureaucrats and civil servants?

56. khanna Says:
    September 10th, 2007 at 11:24 am

    So far I know CSB was asked to give an explanation regarding using of unauthorized frequencies and till that its tx was stopped. It is an action taken by BTRC. In that respect, I appreciate it. But no way CSB should be fired rather they can be punished exemplary so that others remain cautious.

57. hungrycoder Says:
    September 12th, 2007 at 11:39 am

    I could not manage enough time to read the whole story & comments.sorry!

    but I think, everyone should be punished if they come through illegal way. Amount of investment can’t gain a sympathy. If you (CSB) think you (CSB) are ok, so why not answer/appeal the BRTC order?

    we liked CSB, but not any illegal acts. How it can be a fair news channel if its born in some illegal means?
    still we hope to see it live.but again claiming any punishment possible but no shutdown.

58. fugstar Says:
    September 12th, 2007 at 1:15 pm

    rolling news, video or web based is an obstacle to understanding, reflection and working life. freedom of speech is not a sacred value to people who arent journalists, or the new individualists. Therefore our policy should be made accordingly and these tothobazars given clear redlines and warnings that they are not above the law.

59. Unheard Voices » Meet the Tipu Sultan of 2007 Says:
    October 30th, 2007 at 9:51 pm

    [...] they were on the run, Akash lost his job because the government shut down CSB, the 24 hour news channel he worked for. Akash is fiercely independent — perhaps too [...]

60. Keeping the lamp lit « ShahidulNews Says:
    January 14th, 2008 at 2:20 pm

    [...] The anniversary party could have done without the media gatecrashers. The weeks leading up to the 11th January 2007, have been particularly difficult for the government. In August, it had taken violent protest by the students for the military presence in campus to be removed, but it is the fallout of the government’s heavy-handed response that they now need to deal with. Having closed the 24 hour news channel CSB [...]

61. Today’s Recommendation « In the Middle of Nowhere Says:
    January 15th, 2008 at 6:11 am

    [...] but it is the fallout of the government’s heavy-handed response that they now need to deal with. Having closed the 24 hour news channel CSB  and intimidated others with barely veiled threats, [...]

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