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 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 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

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