Md Abu Mustofa, a writer from Sylhet, who occasionally writes from the UK on various societal, political and economic issues of Bangladesh has recently found himself in the midst of Awami wrath. His writing, unconfirmed sources say, is symptomatic of the ills of disinformation and propaganda. Like Mr. Mustofa, many such writers have been targeted and according to our source in the Secretariat, active plans are being hatched to lay down regulations as to what is expected of the media outlets.
According to ABCNEWSREPORTSNOW, which conducted an interview with Mr. Mustofa, it transpires that Mr. Mustofa’s frustration with the current culture of political aggression and climate of political persecution comes from the knowledge that even constructive criticism is actively discouraged. His family have been harassed, intimidated by the “Awami cronies and miscreants”, he reportedly said.
It appears that there has been a wider crackdown on writers and bloggers who are actively pursuing an anti-government stance in their writing. Whether this is a legitimate action, that is not clear given the freedom of speech in the Bangladeshi constitution is not an unqualified right. It has to be said that the government should have the powers at its disposal to dismantle and dispel propaganda and disinformation. However, where is the boundary? We have reviewed the write-ups of someone like Mr. Mustofa, but have not been able to conclude that these are of harmful quality or not in the public interest. But, overzealous Awami supporters appear to be uninterested in the nuanced dissemination of the words written by people like Mr. Mustofa.
It is anticipated that some form of legislation is underway to regulate the publication of opinions and news.
Source: http://abcnewsreportsnow.com/
