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Friday, January 18, 2008

[chottala.com] Equal time for the opposite view : The media in Bangladesh is at fault

Equal time for the opposite view : The media in Bangladesh is at fault
There are so many think-tanks and NGOs in Bangladesh, as well as government agencies. But who ensures that the media is giving equal time to the opposite view? Unless this can be ensured, the dream for building a pluralist society will remain a far-off reality.
 
 
One of the major complain about the emergency time events and happenings is that, often the authorities use 'fear factor' to tackle a problem. However, we have again and again said that the use of fear would not work if the aim is to give a jump-start the development and governance. Rather, the authorities should use the strength of discipline and mutual discussion/understanding to solve a problem. Over time, government was at fault in several occassion but they have corrected that. At least, there has been demonstrable evidence that government policy-makers are making an effort to respond to that need. One has realize that the beauracracy and the police administration are the same - so the first thing they do is the habitual thing - with which they are used to. That is - they opt for fear factor. But it is getting better in our opinion, but the speed could be better, off course.
 
Now, while the government is trying that, what about other elements of the society? Is media reporting correctly and unbiasedly about the realities on the ground?
 
Say for example, how many students in Dhaka University is supporting the ongoing agitation of the few students? Many would say - a very insigficant portion of the student body - may be less than 5% - are acutally supporting this while less than 1% are participating.
 
But how about the rest 95%? What do they do? Why don't media talk about them? Where is the golden rule of equal time for all the viewpoints in a pluralist system?
 
Media never think about that.
 
Or may be, some would say, the silent majority do not have any programme, they do not have any opinion either, if they are asked.
 
We say - why not? Are they afraid of anything? The mastans of the student wings?
 
Or are they thinking that this current government would go away in one year time, after that it will be the same again. So, why bother going against the political forces who may do some damage to themselves or their family.
 
Media is bringing reports of the parents who are in jail or polatok. Their parents off course will want their child's parole or mukti. Which parent don't?
 
But how about those thousands of parents whose students are being blocked to pursue education in peace? What is the big deal with few teachers and students are under arrest at a time when country's two former prime ministers are in jail too?
 
Oh, right, that is the reason. Now the politicians who are outside cannot go into agitation to free their culprit bosses from jail. So, they are feeding the minor children to do their dirty job. At the same time, they are trying to agitate some workers in the garment factories. Somebody is playing around.
 
One may comment that -- why we are talking about all the conspiracy theories. What is the basis of all these?
 
Well, we have seen how people are reacting if you compare your elder in the family with Hasina or Khaleda. Their names are synonimous to a gali now.
 
Have you tried this? If a senior female member of your family is creating trouble (which every families have, to some extant. Similarly, every family has senior male troublemakers, too), tell them "why you are doing so and so ... like Hasina or Khaleda?" See what is their response. You would be surprised.
 
My mother was so furious at me that she stopped talking to me for few days. hahaha. I had to convince her that she is not that bad, after all. :)
 
So, our assumption is that the society - the silent majority is prepared to go beyond our past history of bitter politics of irresponsibility. But our media is not.
 
Why not?  You have talk to them.
 
Okay, okay, for example, if the government beleives this, what can they do? How come they change the mind of the journalists, if they all want to maintain the status quo?
 
True. The government can not demand that the journalists also follow the lead of the majority people. Journalists should do that by themselves.
 
But if the journalists do not do that the only thing left for the government is to make sure that the journalists are behaving professionally.
 
Equal time for the opposite viewpoint has to be given in the media coverage. Watchdogs, civil soceity orgs, has to be established to ensure that. Otherwise, the dream for a pluralist soceity will be far off. It will be a soceity of AL, or BNP or Right or Left. But we do not want that. We want a society that is professional, based on rule of law and allow all the people, all the viewpoint to live side by side following the law of the land.
 
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columinsts in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence. 
 
 
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
 
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Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article.
 
Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so it should come under attention of the head of the government please forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor: feeedback@pmo.gov.bd or at http://www.cao.gov.bd/feedback/comments.php . The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy. It is already proven that this government responds to the feedback.
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[chottala.com] 58 OIC Members, when Moslim countries are 44?

This list shows 58 country as its members, when some of these countries are not Moslim and PLO is mentioned as a country, when its not a country. It tells, how ignorant the people are, who run OIC. There are only 44 countries with at least 50% of their population, Moslim.
Here's the list of countries that are not Moslim but are members of OIC because of its ignorance.
 
1. Benin, 2. Burkina Faso, 3. Cameron, 4. Chad, 5. Gabon, 7. Guayana, 8. Kazkhistan, 9. Mozambique, 10. Nigeria, 11. Surinam, 12. Togo, 13. Uganda. 14. Zanzibar (withdrew).
 
These countries have Moslim Population, no denial and they should have Observer Status but then should not Communist China, India, USA and countries of Europe because they have plenty of Moslims living there also?
 
If any Mollaa think, I'm lying, just accuse me, so I can post Population Ratio of Moslims from UN list of all so called Moslim Countries to prove that you are ignorant and keep accusing me of lying all the time, when actually you are the liars.  

Syed Aslam <Syed.Aslam3@gmail.com> wrote:
OIC Members
 
Country  â†" Joined  â†" Notes  â†"
Flag of Afghanistan  Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of 1969 Suspended 1980 - March 1989
Flag of Algeria  Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of 1969
Flag of Chad  Chad, Republic of 1969
Flag of Egypt  Egypt, Arab Republic of 1969 Suspended May 1979 - March 1984
Flag of Guinea  Guinea, Republic of 1969
Flag of Indonesia  Indonesia, Republic of 1969
Flag of Iran  Iran, Islamic Republic of 1969
Flag of Jordan  Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of 1969
Flag of Kuwait  Kuwait, State of 1969
Flag of Lebanon  Lebanon, Republic of 1969
Flag of Libya  Libya, Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 1969
Flag of Malaysia  Malaysia 1969
Flag of Mali  Mali, Republic of 1969
Flag of Mauritania  Mauritania, Islamic Republic of 1969
Flag of Morocco  Morocco, Kingdom of 1969
Flag of Niger  Niger, Republic of 1969
Flag of Pakistan  Pakistan, Islamic Republic of 1969
Palestinian flag  Palestine, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization 1969
Flag of Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of 1969
Flag of Senegal  Senegal, Republic of 1969
Flag of Sudan  Sudan, Republic of the 1969
Flag of Somalia  Somalia 1969
Flag of Tunisia  Tunisia, Republic of 1969
Flag of Turkey  Turkey, Republic of 1969
Yemen Arab Republic 1969 From 1990 as Republic of Yemen united with People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
Flag of Bahrain  Bahrain, State of 1970
Flag of Oman  Oman, Sultanate of 1970
Flag of Qatar  Qatar, State of 1970
Flag of Syria  Syrian Arab Republic 1970
Flag of the United Arab Emirates  United Arab Emirates, State of 1970
Flag of Sierra Leone  Sierra Leone, Republic of 1972
Flag of Bangladesh  Bangladesh, People's Republic of 1974
Flag of Gabon  Gabon, Republic of 1974
Flag of The Gambia  Gambia, Republic of the 1974
Flag of Guinea-Bissau  Guinea-Bissau, Republic of 1974
Flag of Uganda  Uganda, Republic of 1974
Flag of Burkina Faso  Burkina Faso 1975
Flag of Cameroon  Cameroon, Republic of 1975
Flag of the Comoros  Comoros, Federal Islamic Republic of the 1976
Flag of Iraq  Iraq, Republic of 1976
Flag of the Maldives  Maldives, Republic of 1976
Flag of Djibouti  Djibouti, Republic of 1978
Flag of Benin  Benin, Republic of 1982
Flag of Brunei  Brunei Darussalam, Sultanate of 1984
Flag of Nigeria  Nigeria, Federal Republic of 1986
Flag of Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan, Republic of 1991
Flag of Albania  Albania, Republic of 1992
Flag of Kyrgyzstan  Kyrgyzstan, Republic of 1992
Flag of Tajikistan  Tajikistan, Republic of 1992
Flag of Turkmenistan  Turkmenistan, Republic of 1992
Zanzibar January 1993 Withdrew August 1993
Flag of Mozambique  Mozambique, Republic of 1994
Flag of Kazakhstan  Kazakhstan, Republic of 1995
Flag of Uzbekistan  Uzbekistan, Republic of 1995
Flag of Suriname  Suriname, Republic of 1996
Flag of Togo  Togo, Republic of 1997
Flag of Guyana  Guyana, Republic of 1998
Flag of Côte d'Ivoire  Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of 2001
Observer States
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1994
Flag of the Central African Republic  Central African Republic 1997
Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus  Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish Cypriot State) 1979
Flag of Thailand  Thailand, Kingdom of 1998
Flag of Russia  Russian Federation 2005
Observer Muslim Organizations and Communities
Moro National Liberation Front 1977
Observer Islamic Institutions
Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States 2000
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation 2005
Observer International Organizations
League of Arab States 1975
United Nations 1976
Non-Aligned Movement 1977
Organization of African Unity 1977
Economic Cooperation Organization 1995

 

  • Flag of India  India - has the third largest Muslim population in the world and had shown its interest in joining the OIC, as an observer nation. While India's candidature is supported by several OIC members including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Iran and Egypt, [1] some influential OIC members like Pakistan have blocked India's inclusion into the OIC

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[* Moderator's Note - CHOTTALA is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political and non-discriminatory organization.

* Disclaimer: Any posting to the CHOTTALA are the opinion of the author. Authors of the messages to the CHOTTALA are responsible for the accuracy of their information and the conformance of their material with applicable copyright and other laws. Many people will read your post, and it will be archived for a very long time. The act of posting to the CHOTTALA indicates the subscriber's agreement to accept the adjudications of the moderator]




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