BANGLADESH: Policy for electronic media during CG stressed

Panel of media personalities and civil society members debate which TV policies should be adopted ahead of election

The Daily Star
Thursday, October 12, 2006

Media personalities and civil society members at a meeting yesterday stressed the need for formulating a policy for the electronic media during the caretaker government in order to pave the way for a free and fair election.

They debated the issue that should all the TV channels, including BTV, be brought under a uniform policy or should they enjoy total freedom in broadcasting news during the caretaker government?

While some of them called for providing terrestrial broadcasting facilities for a few channels along side the state-run BTV during the three-month period, others are against the broadcasting of channels that obtained permission through 'controversial ways'.

Some speakers said some channels, though owned by the political figures, have made allout efforts to ensure neutrality.

The Sammilita Sangskritik Jote organised the meeting on 'Fair election under the caretaker government: Role of the electronic media' at the National Press Club.

Presenting a paper, cultural personality Ramendu Majumder said all the governments have used the BTV and Bangladesh Betar for the interest of the ruling parties.

Besides, he said, there was no initiative to grant autonomy to the BTV and Betar.

He said the government has closed the Ekushey TV on the ground of faulty licence but allowed five more private TV channels financed by the ruling party men on political considerations.

As the electronic media has easier access to households, question about the role of the private channels in the run-up to the election might be raised, he added.

Some speakers recommended that the channels should not sell any time slot to any political parties in the run-up to the election.

Other speakers said the channels are accountable to the viewers. If any channels broadcast something false or unauthentic, it would surely lose its credibility, they argued.

They also said TV channels are not able to play any role in the process of election engineering.

The participants also observed that there should be a transparent process to get permission for a private TV channel.

Artist Mustafa Monowar, actor Ataur Rahman, writer Anisul Hauqe, Shykh Siraj, director (news) of Channel i, Mostofa Firoz, senior staff reporter of ntv, Ahmad Musa, a director of Bangla Vision, and Mozammel Babu, a political analyst, took part in the discussion.

Oikyabaddha Nagorik Andolon Convener Kazi Faruq, former BTV director Barkatulla Bulu, Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, journalist Harun Habib, The Bangladesh Observer Editor Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury and Sangskritik Jote general secretary Golam Quddus also spoke at the meeting moderated by Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu.

Date Posted: 10/12/2006