Washington's observations
Recently, I visited President George Washington's home at Mount Vernon near Washing DC. It is now a historical site opened to public. While going around the stately mansion, the tour guide said something interesting. He said that President Washington believed that a free press and an independent legal system are "two guardian angels of democracy" and when any one of them is threatened, democracy is threatened. This is relevant in the context of recent police brutality against a journalist in Bangladesh. Democracy in Bangladesh definitely suffered when such a police beating of a journalist took place. Bangladesh is at least nominally a democracy and it must take stern against those responsible for attacking a journalist whose main duty is to inform the public. To avert such police brutality in the future, Bangladesh should pass a legislation banning all detention of journalists. If the government finds any misreporting, it should take the concerned reporter to the court. As another American President Thomas Jefferson once remarked: "If I am to choose between a strong government and a strong press, I will choose a strong press."
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