March 12 saw over a hundred thousand people gather to listen to Khaleda Zia speak. They came, despite the fact that all long-distance transportation to Dhaka, including buses, trains, and ferries, had been stopped the last three days, that police was indulging in mass arrests of anyone even suspected of going to the rally, and that on the day of the rally, AL workers armed with weapons were stationed at various points of the city to “discourage” people from attending the rally.
But you wouldn’t know any of that from reading Afsan Chowdhury’s latest. In fact, his piece is a perfect illustration of the iron-clad rules governing BD journalism. All criticism of AL is generic and vague: “AL came out looking like a bunch of scared rabbits”, “the AL who now stands out looking inept”, “But what the AL also did in its failed attempt to contain the crowds from swelling was use its cadres”, “AL had a bad case of nerves”, “AL decided to add to it by making direct broadcasts impossible”, “the party came out looking so novice like, out of depth and touch, hardly the kind of maturity that can handle a political crisis.”
You see, AL is a party governed by a series of inter-changeable drones, and all members have the exact same contribution to policy-making, so it makes no sense to mention the prime minister, or any of her advisers, or members of her cabinet. The party is governed by a hive-mind. Everyone is equally culpable: no need to mention anyone by name.
By contrast, the criticism of BNP is sharp and personal: “Khaleda where her political imagination is limited by her lack of understanding of what people want”, “she however left out was significant which is any reference to the War Crimes Trial”, “It was a very convenient but unpleasant silence on the part of Khaleda Zia”, “Khaleda has declared a number of new programmes including a hartal. So we are back to the hot and heavy season.”
Simple: BNP bad, Khaleda Zia worse.
Finally, this may come as a shock to Chowdhury, but there is no law “that forbids any criticism” of the war crimes trial. There is, however, Section 39 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, which is titled “Freedom of thought and conscience, and of speech.” It protects the right of all Bangladeshis to express themselves as citizens of a free and democratic country. Perhaps he should glance at it.
April 29, 2012 at 11:15 am
Here is the latest masterpiece by Afsan Chowdhury
But why do we all have to suffer?
http://opinion.bdnews24.com/2012/04/29/but-why-do-we-all-have-to-suffer/#more-3524
Afsan Chowdhury now tuning his tone that is eerily close to Awami League echo chambers, but off course he is doing that in disguise. This time he hides behind “why people have to suffer for BNP party issue?” In his opinion BNP called hartal for demanding Elias Ali return is “cynicism”. He even recalls his vocal protest against rickshaws breaking in 80s but nothing to vouch for his so called “protest”.
Afsan Chowdhury in his biased piece failed to recognize that businessman, politicians and people in general are living under terror of abduction and killing. High profile Sagor-Runi killing and killing of Saudi diplomat pushed public psyche to the edge. Before that Choudhury Alam and many others disappeared and never returned. Afsan Chowdhury summarily ignored Ain O Salish, Odhikar and Amensty Int’l and HRW statistics and statements on alarming rate of abduction, killing and extra judicial killings. Afsan Chowdhury failed miserably to recognize fear and terror people are living in his bias piece as editor of BDNEWS24. I wonder how long BDNEWS24 afford to go against current of popular public opinion.
Awami League regime has responsibility to stop these abductions and bring perpetrators to justice. Afsan Chowdhury also artfully disguises that fact.
Unless Afsan Chowdhury living in Mars, contrary to Awami League cadres destroying rickshaws in 80s. today rickshaw moves freely during hartal in fact rickshaw pullers do brisk business during hartal.
Afsan Chowdhury posed the question, “Suppose Ilias Ali is dead and can’t ever be returned by whoever took him? Will hartals go on forever?” It’s rather amusing to see Afsan Chowdhury playing ignorant and posing such question. Given that opposition deadline for restoring caretaker government is pending and if opposition is capable, logical conclusion from these hartals would be movement to oust the regime.
Afsan Chowdhury claims Awami League does not gain from anything because “it has obviously been the trigger to cause so many problems for everyone in power.” But he conveniently left out the fact Awami League miss calculated the impact from Ilias Ali abduction. Sheikh Hasina’s comments are more than enough to prove that point.
Awami League is not the only party Afsan Chowdhury exonerates from responsibility of Ilias Ali abduction perhaps killing. He exonerates India as well until he takes shelter behind Rumi bahi satire piece “Alien Invasion on Bangladesh”
Note: One may ask why I am not posting such criticism in BDNWS24. Simple answer is in last two occasions BDNEWS24 censored my comments and did not allow to be posted.