Transcript Media is essential in promoting good governance

Role of media
in Good Governance
Bangladesh Perspective
The role of communications and media is
gaining importance everyday in
establishing a safe, democratic world of
peace. Though there is no magic lamp in
its hand, it has been promoting changes
performing some responsibilities through
informing, educating, persuading and
entertaining the mass to a variety of
issues.
Media is essential in
promoting good governance
- Nobel Prize winner and former World Bank Chief Economist Joseph Stiglitz
a “development good” capable of
contributing to improve
government’s accountability,
more efficient markets, and more
information-rich societies.
Timothy Carrington and Mark Nelson former Wall Street Journal reporters
Media’s role to have grassroots’
voice in the political process for
positive change.
-
David Strömberg, Research Fellow at the Institute for International
Economic Studies, Sweden
 Literacy rate
Per capita income
 Reach of the media
 Readership/viewership
 Acceptance/reliability of the media
 Government or state controlling and others
Population about 140 million
Adult literacy rate is 51% including those who can write their name
Per capita income is only 210 USD
Only 10 to 15 mentionable dailies from capital Dhaka
Outside Dhaka at best 8 to 10 dailies
15% of the total population read newspaper
23% of the readers subscribe it
Ownership of television is 14%
Viewership of BTV is 42%
35% people own radio set and 39% is the listener of Bangladesh Betar
The most popular radio program is Musical Program (78%)
Private radio channel - 1
No community radio
No terrestrial television channel other than BTV
Only two satellite TV channels.
* There is no Independent Press
* The state owned BTV and Bangladesh Betar act like govt’s
prolocutor and produce/deliver biased news and views.
(BBC/VOA)
* Newspapers and the newsmen are sharply divided in partisan line.
* About 25 restrictive laws jeopardizing the life of media and the journalists
* There is no right to information act yet
* Very few journalists have graduation in journalism
* They are not even well trained. Most of them have to go through trial
and error.
* Journalism as a profession has not yet developed
* Most of the journalists are not paid properly by the newspapers/media
Corruption has become a significant problem for Bangladesh
There is intolerance in politics & society.
The two major political parties are always at confrontation. The opposition
party boycotting the Parliament stays outside in most of the time with any
excuse.
The country has a corrupt police administration.
People are insecure at home and at the workplace as the terrorist activities
are very high. It may be mentioned here that the government is trying its
best to have control over terrorism deploying military in maintaining law &
order situation.
Violence against women and children is still very high.
An estimated 10 to 20 thousand women and children are trafficked each
year to major cities in India, Pakistan, and middle east for sex trade,
domestic work, and as camel jockeys and beggars.
Most of the trafficked women and girls’ range in age is 7-24 (with a mean
of 16) while boys’ range in age is 2-12.
Bangladesh was the second highest rate (47%) of domestic violence in the
world
Of the estimated 16 million children in Bangladesh aged 10-14, over 6.6 million
are working children. 41% of this group are girls. Children are engaged in over
300 different types of work activities, of which 49% are considered harmful to their
physical and mental well being.
The 1961 Muslim Family Ordinances established many important legal
protections for women. However awareness of these protections is still limited
among both men and women.
Bangladesh is a signatory of most international human rights conventions,
including the child rights convention and international labor organization
convention
But almost everyday the daily newspapers come with killings, rape cases, acid
victims; the children are being tortured and repressed at home and outside.
It could be mentioned here that there are eight laws related to child labor but not
a single case has been filed
Limited resources and authority make most Union Councils ineffective
There are an increasing number of active standing committees in the Bangladesh
parliament, but their meetings are generally closed to the public and the press
and there are few avenues open for the public to provide input into legislation or
oversight.
Daniel pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter was
murdered for investigative reporting
243 journalists were killed in between 1992 and 2001 and out
of the total amount 176 were killed in conflict zones
according to France based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF)
Most are deliberately gunned downed after identifying
themselves as journalists, while many are killed by the
military or police
The most inhuman, unjust, striking and pathetic thing is
that 95% of attacks against the journalists worldwide go
unpunished
According to Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO, Assistant Director-General for
communication and information.
In Bangladesh from October 2001 to June 2002
145 journalists assaulted or targeted with death threats
one reporter (perhaps two journalists) murdered
16 newsrooms or press clubs brutally attacked
4 journalists detained by the authorities
Prime suspects are enjoying impunity
From 1996 to 2002 not a single trial was held
FREEDOM OF PRESS IN
LEGAL CONTEXT
Article 39 (1), 39 (2) fine but . . .
Sedition
Defamation
Obscenity
Contempt of Court
Official Secrets Act
Special Power Act
Press and Publication Ordinance
Law and Order Disruption Criminal Act
Skill & Knowledge on issues
not enough
Ownership of newspaper
Still with Hopes
BUT . . .
From different angle
Thanks for hearing me