Untold Facts

Bribing ‘Free Press’ by the PM Sheikh Hasina at whose Cost?

Propaganda Unleashed
A prestigious English weekly on the 28th August had a credible report published in its column that stated with facts that the PM Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh got this year on the 15th August as many as 93 ‘Supplements’ published in as many dailies etc. for eulogizing her late lamented father who fell on the 15th August 1975. The other part of the news item stated very accurately that out of the 93 media clients only 20 had implemented the Wage Board Award (WBA) for their employed journalists, the rest did not that fail to qualify such units for any government funding assistance. By doing the act she has overstepped, if not violated the norms and legal limits, for spending public fund in the matter.

Intimidation by GOURI SEN
Was that her personal generosity that exceeded even number of supplements she had 82 published on the 1996 Independence Day that in a way meant she has put more importance to the memory of her fallen father who fell from the State power in a jubilant and victorious coup that clearly implied further that even the independence of the country was less important to her. Why? Who would pay the bill? Would she pay from her own private purse and not from the public exchequer? What else could be the reason for the razzmatazz? Was it for psychological intimidation of the judges of the Appeal Division of the Supreme Court that is soon to start hearing the case pending in the matter?

Interfering Again
The question and apprehension of intimidating the judges by the top bosses of the party now in the State power of Bangladesh looms large in the minds not only of the people concerned in the matter but also all who care for and duly expect a fair justice done in the hearing. Because, in the past when the case of the so-called trial for ‘murder’ went through three stages in courts and 12 convicted to death sentence, the due process had in all stages been interfered with by the same lots during 1996-2001 term of the same Prime Minister that made clear miscarriage of justice. That the few put to dock had been escape goats is not been still talked about by highly placed outsider and retired judges of the government but also by insiders as the Awami League M.P. Sheikh Selim has lately been saying in public and repeating in medias indicting the then Army Chief General Shafiullah and some others. Curiously enough when M.P. Selim raised questions of making escape goats in the matter, the technocrat Law Minister Shafiq Ahmad on the 15th August amused his party followers by publicly announcing that they would ‘celebrate’ the hanging of the ‘killers’ of ‘Bangabandhu’ very soon! How could a man trained in law make such a loose and silly observation in the matter that is strictly legal and under trial? Is he ignorant that in such case, even the ‘benefit of doubt’ may acquit any death convict? Albeit, being a technocrat minister, he is fortunate to be free from any accountability to the people, not even to the electorate.

Rogue
There is more crucial national concern involved. Her father naturally as her father is an angel to her, but not to millions other, even to some, unfortunately, a notoriously controversial leader of the Bangladesh history. There is at least no consensus on the unanimous respectable status of her father but a leader of variety of ROGUE just as to quote the term I leant from the late great man Akhtar Hamid Khan of the world renowned Comilla Model of Cooperatives.

2009 is not pre 15th August 1975
Bangladesh as in 2009 does not go with Hasina’s father and his evil legacies of autocracy, one party dictatorship, extended dynastic evil, oppressive rule perpetrated by the unconstitutional killer RAKHSI BAHINI but after mid August 1975 by pluralism, multiparty democracy, free press, freedom for all law abiding citizens that had been ensured through the fall of the controversial figure and Hasina’s father on the very jubilant day. Thus punishing in any form the heroes of the 15th August 1975 would only bring an end to freedom and pluralism for the dreaded period of the BAKSAL of Hessian’s father!

‘Mess of pottage’
Lovers of freedom and free press, it is expected, would not be bedeviled by the little ‘mess of pottage’ Hasina intended to give to some preferred media in publishing the 93 supplements on the 15th August 2009.

Author: M.T. Hussain