Barrister Mainul Hosein while taking part in a talk show at Channel-i yesterday along with the former State Minister for Information Professor Abu Sayeed termed the government’s National Broadcast Policy as a law to reduce us to a no-vote, no-voice nation and remain in power.
He voiced strongly that the government must earn legitimacy first as there cannot be an unelected government
under the Constitution, he continued, quoting from the Constitution the Fundamental Principles of State Polity. Voter less election showed people’s no confidence in the government. The people are angry and discontent, and if there is popular uprising, the two leaders will find them unacceptable, Barrister Mainul said analysing the crisis the nation is facing.
According to him, the National Broadcast Policy does not explain the policy of issuing license. Nowhere in a democracy under the guise of broadcasting policy, freedom of the press guaranteed under the Constitution is curbed forgetting that the press freedom represents the people’s voice.
He added that the press guidelines are given by the journalists and not the government. In this context, he cited the example of the journalists of European Union. Such guidelines put restrictions on the government to protect the press freedom.
He said, he feels sad and shocked when it is claimed that journalists demanded such a policy and the government obliged the journalists showing courage. But journalists are denying their connection with the present policy.
Barrister Mainul asked the government to show respect to the people’s Liberation War by getting itself elected. These guidelines should be followed and practised by the government to make the government democratic, honest, transparent and accountable.
He explained that manipulators (Karigars) are guiding the government remaining unseen and who will disappear unseen when trouble comes. They have been working since independence of Bangladesh and Bangabandhu himself became a victim.
Barrister Mainul said there should be united efforts to show that the Liberation War was ours and for us to live with democratic freedoms and rights.
Professor Abu Sayeed said that the whole nation is being treated as fools and the government is being misled by a syndicate. He referred to extensive corruption going on in the country and expressed his considered opinion that the policy must not exist in its present form. The talk show was conducted by Senior Journalist Zillur Rahman.
