Editorial
Stopping a book launch
This is unacceptable
We take serious note of the government's arbitrary stopping of a book launch ceremony at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel scheduled for Tuesday. Opposition leader Khaleda Zia was to unveil the books.
The action against the programme came at the last moment without any explanation offered. Why should the government interfere with as simple a programme as launch of a few books about the leader of the opposition and former president Ziaur Rahman? The organisers had every right to stage the programme, which they had arranged with the hotel concerned.
We are appalled at such uncalled-for use of power driven by a political motive thereby denying what amounts to citizens' fundamental rights.
The fact that the contents of the books were asked to be made known is but putting fetters on the right to expression. It is dangerous and unsettling. We register vehement protest against the move.
To close down a perfectly acceptable programme purportedly on the instruction of an intelligence agency is repugnant to civilised norms and democratic sensibilities.
How low the government's intolerance has gone is brought to glaring light by the use of intelligence agencies to spoil a function in a hotel run commercially, to which a client cannot be denied access without justifiable grounds. This shows up a mean undemocratic streak in governance.
On the one hand, the government cries hoarse about its democratic credentials and the claim to championing freedom of expression, on the other, it betrays a certain political chicanery in dealing with the opposition.
This is totally unacceptable and once again we express our concern over an infringement of the opposition's, or for that matter, any citizen group's rights.
In using methods of stifling the opposition, the government seems to be unaware of the fact that it is only revealing its weakness, and not strength.
The government must realise that such an ill-advised, but deliberate action can only damage its credibility as well as blight the prospect of ironing out its differences with the opposition that the people are eagerly looking forward to.
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