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Politicians shaken by interim govt.'s
anti-graft, anti-crime moves
Sadeq Khan
The political establishment in Bangladesh across the great divide has been visibly shaken by the latest bout of joint operation being carried out by the armed forces and the police. The drive for decriminalization of the polity has taken a sensational turn with the haul of a score of "big fish in the net", to borrow the jargon of one of the advisers of the Caretaker Government.
Amongst the detainees, imprisoned under Special Powers Act and Emergency Powers Ordinance on generalised charges, are a number of former ministers and influential parliamentarians who served past governments of both Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina. Also included in "the catch" are some nouveau riche crony capitalists and media Moghuls. According to reports attributed to unspecified sources by newspapers, some four hundred more high-profile arrests are likely to be made involving leading politicians and crony capitalists. In a country of 150 million people, that is not a very big number. But considering the small size of the exclusive privilege club of the power elite in this country, the beginner score has already sent a shockwave in the rooms at the top.
Indeed for the general public, the message of this operation has been that at long last, an attempt is being made to establish the supremacy of the rule of law. The high and mighty who have been posing to be above the law, and who earned reputation for abuse of power, stature, money and muscle for self-aggrandisement, have been brought to book. Amongst the members of the public, there is still a lingering skepticism that the arm of the law will not be able to hold the high-profile detainees for long.
Loopholes in our system of prosecution and the power of persuasion by money, influence or blackmail that the high-profile detainees (and their foreign connections) may exercise, are likely to find escape routes for them from the anvil of justice. Emergency provisions suspending some fundamental rights do not begrudge the detainees the benefit of the full process of law, and in fact, some of them have already moved the High Court and obtained rules under relevant protective provisions for the innocent in the Code of Criminal Procedure and under habeas corpus petitions.
Meanwhile, some foreign powers are also reportedly breathing on the neck of the Caretaker Government, albeit mixing their expression of concern with words of appreciation for the success of the emergency measures in restoring order, for early scheduling of general election presumably with nominal reforms, and for protection of high profile detainees under legal process conforming to "international standards." Major political parties have also expressed concern about detention of some of their leaders without "specific" charges.
Clearly, the Caretaker Government will have to prove its efficiency by bringing specific charges within one month against the detainees who are being kept in confinement for that period to facilitate investigations. Whether or not some of them are innocent and implicated by adverse publicity in a climate of political vengeance feeding on character assassination and which-hunt, the public will be very disappointed if, as in the past, some of them manage to escape full legal scrutiny and judgment for procedural oversights and loopholes of the law. It is important for the public to have full faith that no one is above the law, in front of which all citizens, rich or poor, high or low, Muslim or non-Muslim, English-educated or Madrassa-educated, literate or illiterate, are equal.
A section of the national media had been consorting with and making much of foreign diplomatic clout expressly banging on the head of caretaker administration prior to the proclamation of emergency, telling politicians and advisers what to do and what not to do and in effect compounding the crisis. The proclamation of emergency, which has been termed as a "guardian" coup d'etat, Bangladesh style by a section of the foreign press with access to the diplomatic busybodies in Dhaka, has indeed been a damper to the meddlers.
If it could be called at all a "guardian" coup, no one entered the seat of power of the caretaker administration, the Bangabhaban with even a small arm in hand to trigger it. It was the realisation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the People's Republic, listening to his commanders of armed forces, that the situation on the ground had become unsustainable by politics of vengeance and violence masked under democratic pretensions. He declared a state of emergency, dissolved his own impugned caretaker government, called his commanders to take charge in addition to protecting life and property of citizens, keeping trade, traffic and the wheels of the economy running, and containing terrorists and recovering illegal arms, to do the needful to ensure "honest democratic conduct." A new team of caretaker advisers were sworn in to administer that charter of emergency assignment, and certainly not to run errands between competing camps of political alliances whose vicious rivalries had brought the nation-state to the brink of collapse.
The armed forces in Bangladesh have belied tendentious propaganda in the foreign media of a coup in Bangladesh by standing by the President in defending the Constitution. They certainly have not gone the Pakistani way, the Thai way or the Fiji way of military intervention, and have resisted diplomatic interference as well, sticking to the orders of the President. The emergency period offers time to the new caretaker government to conclude all necessary reforms, both electoral and political, so that there is no return to the culture of boycotts, blockades, and extra-parliamentary confrontations undermining peace, progress and democratic conduct of the People's Republic. It is interesting to note that the same section of the media that was hobnobbing with nosy diplomats in Dhaka for fatwa or comments on the internal affairs of the nation-state, are no more buying foreign prescription for early general election. Like our general public, the media is also for reforms all the way.
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Politics to enter a new phase
AL, BNP ready to fight legal battle together
A.R. Khan
Bangladesh politics appears to be entering into a new phase of legal battle with the detention of a good number of political leaders being challenged in the High Court. The Court generally having a negative notion about the abuse of Special Powers Act of 1974 will, however, have to take into consideration this time the presence of a new state of emergency that was promulgated last month.
The first case under the present emergency rule - the detention of former Awami League MP Kamal Mazumder - was supposed to be disposed off last Wednesday, but it was deferred by a few more days. The court took time to hear from the newly appointed Attorney General. And the court may have to listen to and take into consideration on the "good intention of the authorities".
The writs are being filed under the Criminal Procedure Code that allows habes corpus to bring an arrested person in the court and examine the antecedents.
Meanwhile, 19 of the political detainees got their separate writ petitions entertained at the High Court with a consequent redress in the form of notice issued against the authorities to show within ten days the causes of their detention, asking them to explain why the detentions should not be declared illegal.
The High Court has also entertained a petition filed on behalf of Giasuddin Al Mamun, MD of Channel 1 and business partner of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's eldest son and BNP Senior Joint Secretary Tariq Rahman. The High Court has asked the authorities to respond in a week showing the reason of Mamun's arrest. He, however, is yet to be produced before the court.
Following the arrest of big shots from both Awami League and BNP camps, the government issued press note informing the people that the arrests were made under the emergency rules. The newly promulgated Emergency Rules, however, allowed citizens the right to file writ in the High Court. But the legal experts indicated that it might take time to get the political leaders freed from the prison.
However, the political leadership of both BNP and Awami League and eminent citizens like Dr Kamal Hossain of Gonoforum and Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) leader Professor Muzaffar Ahmed have clearly stated that the political leaders should not be harassed or detained unnecessarily and without 'authentic' allegation.
BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan pointed out that such arrest could create panic and anxiety in the society while party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia asked the party leaders and workers to face the situation courageously and legally. She also instructed her party lawyers to take up the cases filed against BNP men.
Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina, however, demanded a thorough investigation into corruptions committed during last 25 years. She also protested indiscriminate arrest of political leaders making a balance between the two camps.
Whatever differences might be there among the leadership, the interim authorities have given them an opportunity to get closer and live together in the jail. Their arrests also made them go to the pool of legal experts from both the camps together to find out redress for their clients and work out a common strategy for providing protective shields for them.
Now the authorities will have to workout a framework for testing the tolerance level and the strength of nerves of the politicians who, at this point of time, are in a state of defensive position.
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Nothing is unfair in war and love
Fazle Rashid in New York
Nothing is unfair in war and love. This English adage was put into practice by Capt. Lisa Nowak, a US astronaut who feared her boy friend commander William Oefelein, a fellow astronaut, is being enticed by Capt. Colleen Shipman of the US Airforce. Thinking herself to be jilted, Lisa Nowak drove 900 miles from Texas to Florida to have a dual with Colleen Shipman.
So upset was Nowak that she used a diaper so that she need not go to a toilet. Nowak confronted her rival Shipman at a parking lot in Orlando. Nowak attacked Shipman with pepper spray. Nowak carried with her a compressed air pistol, a steel mallet, a knife, latex gloves and garbage bags.
Many who know Nowak wondered how could she mix technical excellence with emotion. Many in NASA feel she has tarnished the fair name of the organization. Her supporters said she is as human as any other person. Nowak, 43, was arrested Monday last at the Orlando International airport.
Nowak said her relationship with William Oefelein, two years junior to her, was 'more than a working relation but less than a romantic relation'. Oefelein is divorced and has two children. Nowak is also married with three children. Nowak was produced before the court and was granted bail on a bond of $15,000. Police added a charge of murder and the bail amount was raised to $25,000.
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Capturing bigwigs
Trial has to be effective and speedy
Mohammed Ali Sattar
The crackdown to arrest the bigwigs of political parties is actually a bold move undertaken by the interim government. A number of political stalwarts have been taken into custody by the joint forces since last Saturday. According to newspaper reports, a list of forty-one major suspects have been prepared by the caretaker government (CG) and hunt for the listed persons is underway. The family members of the captured persons told the media that they were taken in under the Special Powers Act 1974.
The press and all sections of the society have been expecting some action against those political leaders and business tycoons who have amassed ill gotten wealth over the years and with impunity.
The names that appeared in the newspapers are not unknown. Their names have been in the press and on the lips of the people for a quite long time now. The press was agog with reports of wrongdoing by ministers, MPs and their henchmen. A tacit support to the move is in the air.
The practice of making fortunes at the cost of peoples and national interest is old. We have a long history of such deeds by ministers, MPs and party men. All the political governments have allowed this to happen thus losing much of their credibility. Unfortunately none of the past governments took them to task.
The rule of law was not always in place in our society. Almost all the high-ups - be it politicians, businessmen or of any profession - conveniently disregarded the law and greedily went ahead to be engaged in corrupt acts. These people have smeared the characters of the country's institutions.
Fortunes for kickbacks
A section of government officials manning these bodies became part of the corrupt and immoral practice and received huge kickbacks getting fabulously rich beyond expectation. And the country has to bear the brunt of the malaise. Now the honest man is paying extra bucks for getting things done.
The questions are: why this practice and who to blame? Analysts have shown various reasons that gave rise to the malpractices in the society. To sum up: the post-liberation period saw rise of a lower middle class rising to political leadership and eventually to state power.
Their class character drove them to resort to the wrongdoings. One was poverty that they experienced during their upbringing, and the other was the feel of power at a certain level: both worked like magic. Power brought them the opportunity to influence whatever they could in return for money. Gradually small bribe turned big, these leaders rose up the ladder and saw themselves in a broader range. They became 'respectable' persons of the society and enjoyed more favours by their peers and bosses. The culture of making money grew with the time and has grown out of proportion.
Who to blame? Political corruption is not a new phenomenon. Fraudulent practices by politicians and businessmen are universal. Recently, a top aide of the British prime minister has been arrested for receiving monetary favours. In Japan the office of the prime minister was tainted with malpractices by incumbent prime ministers and it went on for years. The situation is similar in almost every country. But the stark difference is that we have been affected wholesale. The leaders of all sections of the society should take the blame for this epidemic. Had they set good examples, had they been partially honest, had they been law abiding this tide could have been stemmed.
Corrupt politicos, businessmen
Our political leaders have taught us to carry illegal arms, resort to violence at the slightest pretext, kill opponents, and conspire to thwart any development projects, stop all work calling blockades and strikes causing irreparable losses to the national economy and to speak in vulgar terms about anybody irrespective of power and position. And yet they expect to serve the people and the nation.
Businessmen vie for top posts in business chambers spending huge amount of money. Many resort to fraudulent practices in siphoning money out of the banks and other financial institutions. They produce adulterated foods, spurious drugs, and substandard goods and amass wealth by selling them at exorbitant prices. They even do not hesitate to cheat the overseas buyers by exporting low quality products, they cheat the stock market stakeholders, they grab illegal lands, build multi-storied buildings without the approval of the concerned body, and the list could go on.
They do it in style and with a brazen face. They very well know that they are out of reach of the any edict and the law enforcers would compromise on a money-spinning deal.
Wealth is necessary for social and economic uplift, and to be rich and wealthy is not a sin. But getting rich overnight by corrupt means is certainly a crime.
The move taken by the present government is indeed courageous. It now should handle this with maximum care. This could be the most significant and historical event in the nation's life. Therefore they should set very good instance of fair and unbiased trial. The speedy trial tribunal to be set up ought to comprise best judges. This trial should be held to expose the truth and mete out impartial verdict and not to harass or victimise a personal foe or political opponent.
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Amnesty Intl. slates rights abuses
Pressure mounting for timely polls
M. Shahidul Islam in Toronto
While the caretaker government is busy in chasing the alleged corrupt politicians, pressure is mounting from within and without to hold timely polls as well as to desist from abusing human rights.
At the same time, the image of the nation seems to be receiving a critical review in the international arena. Concerned over political developments in recent months, US issued on January 12 a warning to its citizens to avoid travel to Bangladesh while press and media reporting in the West have begun to question the legality of many of the punitive actions being taken by the caretaker regime which shoulders the primary responsibility to facilitate the holding of a credible election within a constitutionally stipulated deadline.
At the US Institute of Peace panel on Bangladesh, Amnesty International (AI) presented on February 1 a bleak picture of widespread human rights abuses in the country by what it called the 'military-backed caretaker government.'
"We see a very dangerous situation for human rights in Bangladesh", said T Kumar, Asia and Pacific advocacy director for Amnesty International USA. Kumar cited accounts of "mass arrests, brutal forms of torture such as electric shock, rape of women with complete impunity and forced confession."
Peter Manikas, regional director for Asia at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), said, some people in Bangladesh spoke of military rule under 'Pakistan model' or 'Thailand option'- referring to the two other Asian nations currently being run by military. Manikas added, "There is widespread agreement that the caretaker government (CG) is a civilian façade for what is essentially a military regime."
Manikas visited Bangladesh recently and was supposed to monitor the cancelled January 22 elections.
Stubborn gesture
In another stubborn gesture, the US Institute for Peace warned that the US and the Commonwealth should consider punitive measures if the army declared martial law or took other unconstitutional steps. Meanwhile, the Gulf News reported on February 5 that the Awami League (AL), which had initially welcomed the state of emergency and cancellation of the polls, now wants the government to announce the election date as early as possible.
The paper said the AL had asked the government to call off emergency to create a congenial atmosphere for a free, fair and credible election. "We do not know when the election will actually be held or what the caretaker government is going to do," AL's organising secretary remonstrated.
The paper also quoted AL's joint general secretary, Obaidul Quader, as having said, "We want from the caretaker government a time-frame for holding the next election as early as possible. We also want to know the (regime's) specific agenda about holding the elections."
The Gulf News claimed that a group of 14-party alliance leaders wants the government to hold the election in April, adding, the BNP too demanded timely holding of the polls and a specific time-frame although law adviser, Moinul Hosein, said the poll date will be announced only after the government cleanses the mess. A reliable diplomatic source said a number of 14-party leaders are reportedly busy in devising ways to create diplomatic pressure on the government for holding the polls sooner, especially after the arrest on February 4 of some high ranking leaders by joint forces. Two high-profile 14-party leaders are conducting discussions with foreign diplomats in this regard, it was learnt. The BNP too is mulling to bring about diplomatic pressure on the government to ensure immediate holding of election, it was learnt.
The ongoing pressure for holding timely polls coincides with the Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty's meeting with the Awami League president, Sheikh Hasina, on February 2. High Commissioner Chakravarty told reporters after the meeting that he hoped the election would take place soon. The US and the EU too emphasised on timely holding of the polls. US State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez said on February 3, "We would like to see free, fair, non-violent and credible elections in which all can participate as soon as possible." Vasquez said US would monitor court rulings and decisions by election authorities while national leaders wrangle over rescheduling the polls.
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Roots of nation's crises run deep
Fazle Rashid in New York
Something unique has taken place in Bangladesh. Four honourable judges who have dispensed justice at the highest seat of judiciary have suffered the ignominy of being painted as partisan persons not fit to conduct fair, free and transparent elections. At least one was prevented from fulfilling his constitutional obligation and three others were forcibly shown the door. Their places have been taken over by former civil servants who are considered more conscientious, forthright, honest and neutral. The Judges have been eased out to facilitate holding of free, fair and transparent elections.
The caretaker government (CG) has worked out a crowded agenda for itself. Election, which should have been its prime concern, has been put on the back burner. It has instead busied itself removing unauthorised structures, there have been umpteen number of changes in the bureaucracy, even some VCs have not been spared, political parties registration law is in the offing, judiciary is being separated from the executive branch, anti-corruption drive has been launched in full swing, politicians aligned to immediate past and previous government are being given detention, businessmen are being hauled up, government is withdrawing its equity from three government-owned banks and certain provisions of the hated Special Powers Act of 1974 are now being employed. In 2001 the removal of only thirteen secretaries prior to the elections led a political party to raise a great hue and cry.
These are all laudable actions. The nation will remain grateful to the CG for destroying millions of tons of stale, rotten goods unfit for human consumption. It will remain a mystery how such a huge stockpile of adulterated goods could escape the notice of the immediate past government.
The government is taking punitive action against one private sector bank for defalcation or embezzlement of bank fund. There are over 50 commercial banks operating in the country and all the banks are reeling under the mountain of crushing bad loans. The government should also take legal action against the loan defaulters.
Some businessmen are among those who have been arrested. They used their connections with political parties in government to obtain undue advantage in doing business and winning contracts. This is not something unique in Bangladesh; not a single country is there in the world where big business houses do not have cozy ties with the governments. This is not illegal either.
WSJ on Bangladesh situation
The elections are not likely to be held any time soon. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last Monday entitled 'Bangladesh on the brink' which called upon the world power now engaged in Iraq to divert their attention to Bangladesh. The article written by Ms Christine Fair, managing editor of India Review and Sumit Ganguly, who teaches political science at the Indiana University, called upon the international community to act immediately to compel Dhaka to lift the state of emergency, restore full democratic rights and announce a specific date for credible elections.
The roots of Bangladesh's problems run deep. The political system has been destroyed by an acrimonious power struggle between Khaleda and Hasina. Both have prioritised personal gains above needs of the state, the article stated. The article blasted both the leaders for flirting with Muslim militants.
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Zhu Xian new WB country director
Zhu Xian today assumed his responsibilities as World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh.
Mr. Zhu, 52, a Chinese national, joined the bank in 2002. Before this, Mr. Zhu worked for 15 years as a civil servant with the Ministry of Finance in China holding several senior posts and was actively involved in China's market driven economic reforms and poverty reduction efforts. He also led the effort to achieve US$3bn in annual lending by the World Bank to China.
In 1999 Mr. Zhu was appointed as Executive Director for China at the World Bank, sitting on the World Bank Board until 2001 when he left to join the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Here he served as Principal Director for Co-financing.
Most recently Mr. Zhu served as World Bank Country Director for Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands in the East Asia and Pacific region.
Zhu Xian expressed optimism about Bangladesh's future, and enthusiasm about his new responsibilities: "I saw at first hand the spirit of Bangladeshi people during my pre-assignment mission last December. This has really energized me. Bangladesh's recent macroeconomic and policy reforms are producing visible results in terms of sustained growth and social progress. Maintaining momentum on reforms, strengthening the state and its institutions, and removing constraints to growth for poverty alleviation will be the key."
Mr. Zhu was educated in China and in the USA in social sciences, including economics. Mr. Zhu is married and has a four-year old son.
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Assamese media fighting within and beyond
Nava Thakuria in Guwahati
The media in Asom (earlier known as Assam) is fighting with external forces and also within. When both the print and visual media of the trouble-torn state fought back together against the diktat of the armed groups to observe both Independence Day and Republic Day collectively, they got confused and divided to defend a private news channel after airing a speculative news story depicting an inherent understanding between the government and the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The militant outfit threatened the channel to substantiate proofs for the news within 30 days to avoid dire consequences. On the other hand, the Assam Government led by Traun Gogoi decided to go to court against NE Television, the only private satellite channel in northeast for the same news that described the government's 'hidden tie-up' with ULFA leaders to keep the militants silent during the 33rd National Games in Asom. ULFA, of course, lately withdraws its boycott call on the Games scheduled on February 9-18.
Assam has a history of over 150 years of print media and presently boasts nearly 20 morning dailies (most of them are in Asomiya language, others are in English, Hindi and Bengali) published from the Guwahati and it involves more than 4000 journalists and newspaper employees throughout the state. When the boycott call was imposed on the celebration of Republic Day of India on January 26 last, the rising counter-reactions led by the media persons turned visible. Defying the diktat issued by militant outfits namely Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF), Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF), Kamotapur Liberation Organization (KLO) and ULFA, the common people in the region came out form inside the four walls of home to observe the Day. While Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland celebrated the day with fanfare, Asom and Manipur observed it under high security because of the threats. Though the government functions in both the states witnessed thin participation, the people in general defied the boycott call and joined private celebrations of the auspicious day.
In Asom, the media persons took lead to hoist the Tri-colour national flag at Guwahati Press Club, the pioneer organisation of journalists in the region. Hoisting the national flag in press club premises, senior journalist Kanak Sen Deka appealed the people of Asom to come forward defying the diktat of ULFA and observe the Independence and Republic Day every year in every household. Mr Deka, also the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary body of the state, declared that Asom would remain an inseparable part of India.
Mentionably, Asom went under British colonial rule with the Yandabu agreement signed in 1826 with the Burmese invaders. Moreover, the region was never a part of Mughal reign and also Ashoka's empire, later on which emerged as the present Indian (Bharatiya) nation. ULFA, which is among active 25 insurgent outfits in Northeast fighting New Delhi for various demands including self-rule to sovereignty, has been maintaining rebellion activities for an Independent Asom (out of India) since 1979.
The ULFA militants were in media headlines during January with stepping up of violence throughout the state. The insurgent group went on killing spree from the first week of January that snatched away the lives of nearly hundred people just in a fortnight. A series of bloodbaths in eastern Asom was followed by the frequent explosions in many parts of the Brahmaputra valley of the state that tempted New Delhi to launch a massive counter insurgency operation against the militants in Asom and adjacent Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian army, paramilitary forces and state police continued combing operation in the troubled locality, where nearly 20,000 soldiers are been engaged.
The television channel controversy was triggered off by the state chief minister Mr Gogoi with his fumed declaration that his government would file a case against NE Television for reporting on alleged understanding between the government and ULFA leaders asking the banned outfit to keep low during the National Games.
The threat to NE Television by the ULFA militants was reciprocated stubbornly by its CMD Manoranjana Sinh. She disclosed that they run a story in the channel, where it was narrated that the state government had gone for an understanding with ULFA during a hidden meeting in Kolkata with the help of a big corporate group with an aim to keep the outfit silent during the National Games. "My channel and I will continue to insist that there is an understanding between the Congress and the ULFA, and thus between the State Government and the ULFA," Ms Sinh asserted. She also wrote to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil with the National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and the Union Home Secretary VK Duggal elaborating the threat from ULFA.
The ULFA threat to the channel was responded strongly by local journalist bodies to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). "It is a shocking that NETV has been threatened by a militant group for its stories and the government has done nothing about it except criticise the station as well," said IFJ general secretary Aidan White in a statement on January 31 with the dateline of Brussels. The international body, which represents over 500,000 journalists from more than 100 countries in the globe, also called upon the Asom government 'to intervene to stop the harassment of and threats against NETV and its staff and to ensure that all media in the region are able to report independently'.
The Press Council of India (PCI) too stepped into the episode and said in a statement that ULFA's notice to NE television 'constitutes a grave threat to the freedom of the press, prompting it to take action under the Press Council (Procedure for Inquiry) regulations'. The autonomous body initiated a suo motu move to request the authorities to take appropriate measures to counter the militants' threat. PCI had asked a detailed report on the threats from the chief secretary of Asom.
But some rude words Manoranjana Sinh used against the state chief minister, while talking to the scribes in New Delhi on February 1, made the situation complicated. Not only the Congress workers in Guwahati, who reacted sharply against her comments, the journalist community in general left in awkward position with her outburst. Ripun Bora, the education minister in Gogoi's cabinet and also Asom government spokesperson, while reacting to Manoranjana Sinh calling Mr Gogoi a 'scoundrel', claimed that she must had lost mental balance to use such abusing words against an elected chief minister. The chief minister Mr Gogoi, on the other hand, lamented that Ms Sinh exposed her lack of cultural values with the outburst.
Resentments against the television channel as a whole were no less among journalists. "They (NE Television) hardly follow the ethical norms and values of visual journalism. Rather they have made it a habit to present the news with full of views and speculations," claimed a Guwahati based senior journalist, who had been a regular audience of its Asomiya bulletin. "Look at the particular news item. What the newsreader portrayed- there were luscious discussion in Dispur (meaning Asom Secretariat) that there had been an understanding between the government and ULFA and hence the outfit would keep low during the time of National Games. My question is whether an unofficial chatting can make a mainstream news item for a channel without any support of visual footages?" added the Asomiya journalist.
The ULFA leaders were prompt to take the advantage of the situation, where many journalists were disappointed with the channel for its speculative and views oriented news items in the bulletin. Responding the condemnations by different organizations, the outfit argued, it 'very much respects freedom of the media'. It also claimed that NE Television flouted all norms of journalism and truth by airing news without any evidences to substantiate. Even the chairman Mr Rajkhowa had written a letter on February 4 to the IFJ General Secretary, where he went on alleging that the NE Television management had utilized the freedom of press only to make 'wild, unfounded and biased allegations (against ULFA)', and 'which itself is against the ethics of journalism'.
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ISLAMABAD DIARY
Jonaid Iqbal
It is irrelevant now to debate whether he was a suicide bomber or not. The important fact is that a suicide attacker blew himself up at the Islamabad airport car park, Tuesday night (February 7). He was killed and 10 other people were injured when he killed himself.
According to Police officials the attacker arrived at the airport in a taxi, in company with two others. They were stopped for checking by Airport Security Force officials who asked for his identification papers.
The man immediately opened fire at the guards and then ran towards the VIP lounge. The security officials returned fire, inflicting multiple bullet injuries. He was hit in the face and the upper part of his body.
An explosion occurred at his point killing the bomber and injuring 10 people, mostly security men. Two security officials who were injured, who were rushed to the hospital were in critical condition in hospital. The blast damaged several cars and hurt some civilians, according to some reports
Syed Murrawat Ali Shah, deputy inspector general of police at Rawalpindi, told journalists that the attacker died when a grenade landed near his feet and exploded when he was attempting to throw at security guards
The police officials said one policeman and two airport security guards were injured.
Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao told media personnel that the attack could have been worse. "The suicide belt the criminal was wearing did not explode, it was still intact,. The alacrity of the security forces foiled a terrorist attack," added the Interior Minister
The two men who had accompanied the attacker to the airport were arrested and shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
The airport was sealed, with no one being allowed in or out, and roads leading to the airport were closed. The schedule of flights was disturbed. All passengers inside the airport were searched and the area cordoned off. The military later took control of the airport.
According to a newspaper report Intelligence agencies have unearthed at least 10 terrorist plots to attack hotels and buildings commonly used by VIPs, in revenge for military operations in South Waziristan. Reports also say that a few Uzbeks were part of the suicide mission, and the targets were mostly high-ranking officials of law-enforcement agencies. They say that a few Uzbeks are also part of the suicide mission.
The same Tuesday night quite a few popular film stars, such as Rima and Shan, showed up at the Islamabad Club to join a two-days conference which was figuring out how the film industry in Pakistan should be revived.
The film industry here is going through a bad patch, right now.
An important personality of the industry former leading man Mustafa Quraishi who spoke on the subject said that his heart bled by looking at the present condition of the film industry and that Pakistan was not making good films.
The president of the meeting, Culture Minister Dr. G.G. Jamal put the blame on the lack of clarity on the part of the government to attach priority to film making industry as well as on the geo-political situation.
Lollywood (short for Lahore film industry parallel to the term Bollywood used for Mumbai) used to make good quality, box-office hits, films once.
However, since 1980s the industry had remained in a state of constant decline. At the present time it was faced with difficulty in attracting finances and good equipment, as well as receiving unprecedented challenges from the cable networks.
' The industry must be pulled out from 'intensive care' and shifted to a ward, if not a private room," said the Minister Dr. G. G. Jamal, a former physician.
Well known actors, directors and producers were present on the opening day of the conference. Jamal Shah, an influential painter, and head of the Hunerkada Academy, convened the moot, said the conference would seek viable recommendations that would be presented to the government and if possible for quick implementation.
There was a time in the past when Pakistan would make around 80 to 100 films each year, but the pace has slowed down since 2004 and only 25 mainstream movies could be produced since then. The number of movie houses came down from 600 to 200 now. Many of the cinema houses have relocated as gas stations and shopping
On the same Tuesday night the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a series of interactive theatre performances in different cities to create awareness of human trafficking. Plays will be staged in different cities to highlight the plight of camel jockeys along with opening if theatres at Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Multan
It might be added that in recent years, hundreds of children, usually from impoverished southern Punjab, have been trafficked to the Gulf states. There the children are forced to work as jockeys in traditional camel races.
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