Govt controls media thru' secret policy

The BNP yesterday said the government is "controlling the media through pursuing a secret policy meant to gag journalists who are critical of it". 

"The government, directly and indirectly, has established its control over media houses. It even finalises the names of participants of talk shows," BNP spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon told a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.

Criticising the Information and Communication Technology Act, he said the law is nothing but an "instrument to control the use of social and other media."

He blasted Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu for creating "such a situation". "Oppression on the media increased manifold since Inu took over as the information minister."

Ripon said although the authorities of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo have not said anything "officially", as a newspaper reader he has noticed that in recent days ads from many multinational companies are not there in the two dailies.

Besides, the two leading newspapers are getting fewer advertisements from government offices, he mentioned, adding that the "government wants to control the media by stopping the flow of advertisements from private companies".       

Talking about Friday's police firing on a demonstration in Kalihati upazila of Tangail, he demanded formation of an independent judicial commission to probe the incident. Four people were killed in the incident.

"Police members have not been hired to kill people. We don't want to see people being killed by policemen. The police can't open fire on people as per the rules and regulations of the force," Ripon said.

He called upon the government to compensate the victims.

The BNP spokesman was critical of deputy inspector general (DIG) of police for directing cops to open fire on "troublemakers to contain them". "His remark is unlawful," he said.

According to media reports, DIG SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman told fellow police officials in Faridpur on Sunday, "Open fire, if necessary. I'll shoulder the responsibility."