Speakers at a roundtable discussion here on Thursday demanded cancellation of the National Broadcast Policy, 2014 saying it is contradictory to the constitution. They feared that the government would use the policy as a weapon to gag the media if it is implemented. The speakers also warned that the government has to face dire consequences if it tries with mere a policy to snatch the freedom of speech which is recognised by the constitution. Nagorik Oikya organised the roundtable, titled ‘People won’t accept the broadcast policy formulate to control media’, at the Jatiya Press Club. Chaired by Oikya convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna, the discussion was addressed, among others, by former state minister for information Prof Abu Sayeed, Dr Shahdeen Malik, Dhaka University teachers Prof Dr CR Abrar, Dr Asif Nazrul, Robayet Ferdous, media personality Mohammad Jahangir, Barrister Sarwar Hossain, Ashraf Kaiser and former Daily New Nation Editor Mostafa Kamal Majumder. Taking part in the discussion, Prof Abu Sayeed said the new broadcast policy cannot be implemented as it is contrary to the constitution. Mentioning that free flow of information is the basic right of people, he said no one will be able to hide information by adopting only a policy. Dr Shahdeen Malik said the government has formulated the policy in a bid to control the mass media. “All, including the media people, should reject the policy for the sake of democracy,” he said. “It’s usual that the current government will try to control the media as the autocratic regime first depends on the law enforcers and then swoops on the media. The government has resorted to the autocratic style,” he observed. He feared that the government might start shutting down media outlets by making a law if its move to implement the broadcast policy is not resisted now. Barrister Sarwar said the media should continue to speak up without any fear as the broadcast policy is not a law rather a policy. Dr Asif Nazrul said the government has violated the people’s constitutional rights of freedom of speech and free thinking by formulating the policy. Accusing the government of controlling TV talk-shows after the January-5 election, he said the government will establish its absolute control over the mass media with the broadcast policy. Asif called upon the owners of private television channels to reject the policy and urged the government to formulate a new policy for electronic media in the light of the existing policy for the print media. — UNB, Dhaka.
