A Windowless Fortress In The Making

One Digital Security Act made a digital fortress
Another draconian law may make it breathless.
Could the govt stay long in such a suffocating place?

In another bizarre move, Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission(BTRC) has drafted policy aiming to firm its grip on social media platforms. Doubts have been raised from various groups as it may be another draconian policy to nab on opposite and dissent voices.

The clauses to be incorporated in the proposed policy indeed sound harassing.For instance, BTRC policy proposed to take and resolve complaints on content in a matter of 20 days. And complaints have to be taken into consideration within 24 hours. If government find content objectionable,then social media have to remove them within 72 hours. Moreover, social media platforms have to recruit employee whose job is to maintain contact between government officials and social media platforms¹.

There is little reason to believe that such regulations would not be misused. In the past, we witnessed how newspaper servers were blocked for several hours in a bid to comply them government order to remove content deemed critical to government.

Recently, many YouTube channels critical to government complained that their contents(video clips) had been removed from social media platforms raising false copy right claims. The channels claimed government-backed employee of social media platforms acted in connivance with false copy right claimers to jeopardize their broadcasting activity.

So examples are aplenty.We need to grow worry about its potential misuse. Back in 2018, soon after government adopted the Digital Security Act, I penned a piece titled “A Digital Fortress In The Making”² highlighting the pitfalls of such draconian law. Sharing it again:

Government has finally turned the country into a digital fortress with the introduction of Digital Security Act 2018. Journalists and human rights activists have already expressed concerns as the Act miserably failed to reflect the suggestions they had proposed in their previous encounters with the government.

Since its introduction just couple of months before election, the DSA 2018 has become a subject of constant criticism. Many believe it is a nuanced threat to the free press already struggling in a hostile environment to cover the wrong doings of people’s representatives and irregularities in the next election.

Government keeps pressing that it does not foresee any misuse of the Act. However, reports suggest that controversial clause of ICT Act was reincorporated into this act that stipulates that authority can detain any person for defamation, dissemination of defamatory content, incitement to violence, and hurting religion. What is worrying the accused may be imprisoned till the court decides whether the one is guilty or not. And the capital punishment is 14-year imprisonment.

Inclusion of some of the clauses of the Official Secrets Act 1923 further added salt to the injury.

Many fear the DSA could meet the fate of Special Power Ordinance 1974, introduced by the ruling party back in 1974. The SPO, provides Police authority to detain indiscriminately anyone without furnishing a proper reason, became grist to subsequent governments’ mill as it was extensively used to subdue critical voices and rivals.Meanwhile blames for making such draconian act heaped on Awami League.

Provided Bangladesh’s vindicative political culture, there is hardly any reason to believe why this Act will not be misused by ruling regime.

So, despite government’s crowd-pleasing assurance, there is little room for remaining assured. In the past we saw how wayward party loyalists lodged harassing cases against individuals, journalists, opposition activists, academics for frank posts on social media. Even for divulging truth about retired Army personnel. Many were thrown into jail. And are still there!

Internationally acclaimed photographer Shahidul Alam is latest victim of this hate campaign. He recorded the acts of mayhem caused during the safe-road movement and gave frank opinion about it to a foreign TV channel. He was detained wielding the controversial clause 57 of ICT Act.

Taking cue from Mr Shahidul if an individual wants to document the wrongdoings of ruling party stalwarts or public servants , that individual could embrace the similar fate of Mr Shahidul. This is the message the government tries to convey with the introduction of the new law.

The l’Affaire SK Sinha teaches us that Bangladeshis in general need to be worried about the state of freedom of expression.

This latest move will take a heavy dent in the popularity of Awami League among the journalists whose opportunities to work increased manifolds with outbursts of media outlets and government’s review of wage hike.

The DSA will not only widen the scope of working of law enforcement authorities, but it may worsen the harassment of presspeople.

One senior journalist , in an interview accorded to an international media, fears that DSA may provide ammunition to authority to seize server of a media house.

As mainstream media may mire in self-censorship restraining themselves from going after earth-shaking political and corruption events, more and more readers may subscribe to rumor-mongering machines on Social Media. Contrary to the goal publicized by the government in support for DSA.

Furthermore, the DSA has made reporting on corruption harder than ever before. As per the new Act, a journalist’s action could be equated with that of a spy. From now onwards, a journalist runs the risk of breaching the Official Secrets Act and being labeled as Spy if that person wants to investigate corruption at a public office and keeps official documents.

Vice policing may increase in the Arts and Entertainment industry as vested groups may target individuals/groups for contents that they think “defamatory”. In Ekushey Book Fair, we already have a test of this kind of vice policing.

Moreover, information about defense procurement program will become much more difficult to get, even in Social Media. Discussion on defense related corruption may become difficult than ever before. For instance, within the government circle or men-in-fatigue, many may find it wrong to question Election Commission’s purchase of Electronic Voting Machines from an Army-run subsidiary, spending Tk 45 billion of taxpayers money. Meanwhile, opposition parties are crying for troops deployment across the country during national polls. By awarding this kind of lucrative contracts to such institution many see an effort to bring the Army on government side ahead of election.In addition, discussion on defense policy in any public forum will also become difficult with its effect. A government determined to make a Digital Bangladesh is in fact turning it into a digital fortress where anyone could be imprisoned on whimsical suspicion. Contrary to the vision of uniting people through a digital revolution, this DSA further deepens and widens the crack of digital divide by exposing government’s one policy for giving carte blanche to its loyalists and another policy for subduing the critical voices.

The upcoming BTRC regulation on social media platforms would be no different from DSA. Its misuse was pretty heavy. Two journalists were detained during lockdown last year for unearthing corruption in health ministry and caricaturing public figures. One of them killed in the jail while the other left the country. Another journalist is barred from leaving the country after doing report on vaccine purchase. My own WordPress site witnessed obstruction in publishing new contents( in the form of temporary block after every new content) prompting me to open another site on blogspot.

One of the areas where social media is making a difference is their contents and news on defense related issues. While mainstream media is notably mute on discussing and covering defense related issues due to lack of constitutional protection, social media pages and channels take the onus to cover and disseminate crucial defense issues including procurement process. Moreover, many dirty secrets of garrison,anecdotes and political ideology of controversial defense officials are exposed by these pages and channels.

One of the reasons put forward to introduce the harsher form of regulations is that these social media platforms on some occasion spread falsehood, hate and vulgarism. I do agree to some extent with the accusation. But it should not be the pretext to tighten grip on such platforms. Moreover, we often find people in the past holding important position in the govt and public service are often behind such activity. Many conspiracy theorists argue govt agencies floated these channels to control the narrative and to kill the novel idea of social media by tarnishing their images before the public in a bid to introduce draconian laws. Classic case is the Cumilla temple attack and attack on ISKCON temples across the country. Some key suspects were killed extrajudicially by RAB. Further thickening the claims of conspiracy theorists.

As the swelling river washes away polluted substance, government may allow more contents to dilute the harmful effect of contested content. Govt can float its own page and channel on the social media platforms and refute the claims.

These social media to some extent meet the information need of people after the Digital Security Act 2018. Prior to 2018 election, online news platforms played that role. But DSA 2018 clipped their wings. And we saw a controversial election. This latest development may lead us to another such election by muzzling the social media.

Like hash smoke, the draconian laws waft along in such closed environment, causing inertia to maintain the prevailing order. One DSA made Bangladesh a digital fortress, another BTRC regulation may take off the windows and ventilators from that fortress. It is neither good for people, nor for the govt.

Notes And References:

1 “Facebook,YouTube E Vidinishedh Aschhe(Regulations Soon For Facebook And YouTube)”, Suhada Afrin,Prothom Alo(Page-3),February 17,2022.

2 “A Digital Fortress In The Making”,Rezaul Hoque,September 26,2018. https://rezaulhoque.wordpress.com For more read at https://rezaulhoque.wordpress.com/2018/09/26/a-digital-fortress-in-the-making/

Free The Foreign Channels

Foreign channels face sudden govt ban,
Govt hopes ad money for TV of crony-man.
People nowadays watch news on cyberspace,
Free flow of info could bring crony TVs back in race.

A decision of the government led cable operators to take off broadcast of foreign television channels at one fell swoop. Government had earlier ordered cable operators that no foreign television channels with advertisements be aired from October 1 onwards.¹ The reason put forward in favor of the action is that these channels earn a lot from Bangladeshi advertisers meanwhile local channels are deprived of advertisement revenues. Government also lacks revenues from airing of these ads on foreign channels. But the truth is media houses,owned by crony capitalists,failed to meet infotainment needs of local population.

This latest step may deem as isolated one ,but just a week ago government deliberately banned all unregistered news outlets. When it was found that except one,owned by a ruling party MP's family-owned company and member of Chinese Communist Party Youth Committee, all the crony-dominated news outlets went offline for one-long hour. BTRC later backtracked its decision and allowed to function all registered and unregistered news outlets as usual.

(Source:Data credits go to internet,wikipedia;infographics credit goes to Rezaul Hoque)

Some of these crony-dominated news outlets showed their true colors when mysterious death of a secret lover of a son of a powerful industrialist pointed fingers at that son. Detention of a rising star and coverage around her further exposed them. The whole incident unfolded just before a court decision whether it would accept or nullify plea,made by victim's sister, that charge sheet should focus on provocation to suicide.The platforms were full of intentional reports to flood the press with stories that deliberately assassinate characters of the rising star and the deceased girl who lived alone in a Gulshan apartment.Idea behind the reports was to influence the verdict of the court. And they got ads lavishly from that conglomerate.

Couple of weeks later,series of phone conversations appeared to leak on the social media platforms. Little known unregistered media outlets started to broadcast them on YouTube. In addition, these outlets in the cyberspace have become the only source of information about ruling party corruption.

Many media outlets who had leaked conversation of others to deliberately shape outcome in favor of ruling party in the past remained noticeably quiet this time.

Evolution of Bangladesh’s media industry says Bangladeshi press started its journey as spokesman of respective political parties. Politically biased reporting, bullying led other business groups to embark on media business as such stories did tremendous damage to business. More or less these houses act as guards of these business groups and no professionalism is ever practiced at these houses. Rather they became rehabilitation centers of former comrades.

Either the owner ,editor or chief reporter of leading outlets of any branch of media is former leaders of various wings of political parties. Credible news and entertainment are hard to get from these outlets.

Apart from that we also have agency backed houses where news and views reflect those of the agencies.

In addition, even the so called neutral news papers have links with ruling regime through their trust fund that hardly goes through any scrutiny. I have respect for the communists and I do acknowledge their importance and contributions in sane and stable nation-building process. But their attitude and behavior towards the nation and people will be different when they will get 80% or 100% of the power. They are no different from a theocratic ruling regime. Just the other side of the same coin. The so called neutral and best selling newspaper of Bangladesh is the most successful project of the Communist Party of this country.The brand does not have any direct political affiliation with the party itself but is more similar to “Naya Diganta”,the ultra-right wing's civilian spokesman.Party cadres will do their level best to keep the paper floating and running and commercial success means free flow of revenue. Even if the editorial staffs resign from the so called neutral news paper and start a new one ,they will manage to get at least 5000 dedicated readers from the party loyalists. Their news items are agenda-driven. The so called neutral news paper and its affiliates showed its true color during the caretaker government which deliberately tried to purge politicians and bureaucrats turning a blind eye to the corruption of the garrison and freezing the constitution for two years. That govt's role was even used to criticize the role of the NGOs in other countries. Later when stricter anti-NGO policies were taken in Russia or in India the role of the caretaker government was discussed as a case. Riding on the image of number one newspaper of Bangladesh, it manipulated its role and successfully presented itself as partner of development organizations that promote democracy and freedom of speech. Development organizations have budgets and program calendars for a particular country. Year-long programs and events are maintained through these calendars. Sponsored supplements on popular dailies,news reports are proof that the event is observed and the money is well spent. News cuttings, links and video clips are stored in the headquarters in donor countries. In Bangladesh, NGO Affairs Bureau under Prime Minister’s Office is responsible for disbursing foreign funds. But it is the Army-led agency that decide clearing and disbursement of such fund. In the past, Bangladesh witnessed many incidents where ultra-right and left had played controversial roles in favor of military regime. By thriving on sponsored supplements of development organizations, it flaunts an image of direct representative of these organizations ,which is untrue. And many of its affiliated NGOs also received disbursement of funds from NGO Affairs Bureau without any obstacle. It is highly untrue that it is neutral. In addition, it is shy to expose corruption of ruling party family, just before the verdict of a retired military official who worked in a real estate company it published biased reports.Its desk reports are based on a foreign news agency identified as vehicle of disinformation campaign,its reports on damage assessment of natural calamities open further alleys of corruption and in 2014 it deliberately depicted a particular community as deciding factor behind a controversial elections stoking communal hatred.

In recent years, it tightened its grip on publication houses by reducing the number of independent publishing houses. Now it even engages in publication of current affairs digest vital for public service job seekers’ success. It nowadays behaves more like a dictating newspaper,mostly found in closed countries. However, business partner of the newspaper Transcom Group suffered a lot due to the controversial newspaper. Transcom Group owner’s daughter was raped and murdered by ruling party hooligans in their second term. In the fourth term, his grandson was butchered in Bangladesh’s worst recorded terrorist incident where dozens of Japanese and Italians and other foreign nationals were murdered.Heartbroken owner gave in to Covid last year,but the editorial staffs suffered little. They did not spend a single day in jail. In Occidental countries, controversial role of news outlets led to resignation of editorial staffs. That did not happen in Bangladesh.

Concentration of media houses and publication industry into few hands already kills the sources of free flow of information.

In addition, introduction of controversial Digital Security Act introduced by JaShoD minister Inu complicated the matter by muzzling the independent voices.

Even trade-union like professional bodies of the journalists are dominated by these crony-backed journalists.

People obviously inclined to social media platforms to quench their news thirst from whatever is there on these platforms. These underground, semiprofessional, little-known news platforms did tremendously well to disclose dirty little secrets of ruling regime. As there is a complete silence from the so called mainstream media to avoid retribution, there is disclosing of truth from these underground media with no holds barred in a child-like manner. In addition, quality and well-made contents of foreign channels already won hearts and minds of Bangladeshi audiences. So ads gradually follow the footsteps of the audiences. Facebook and YouTube earned huge revenues from Bangladesh riding on the popularity of the contents broadcast on these channels.Following government instructions they even pay VAT and taxes to government. The foreign TV channels like Facebook and YouTube earn millions of dollars from Bangladesh. Many Bangladeshi crony-dominated TV channels keep complaining that they do not receive enough revenues. They put the blame squarely on foreign TV stations.

For instance, local TV stations hardly shed any light when official of Prime Minister’s Office and his wife and other ruling party members owned shares of a mobile financial service company and profited from selling of shares of that company where Bangladesh Post Office also has stake.

Meanwhile, boat club controversy, e-commerce debacle also exposed corruption of ruling party member and law-enforcement officials. Leading media houses stayed notably mute in the wake of such controversies. And the little known online and social media based news channels filled the vacuum.

This abrupt implementation comes at this moment to restrain their activities. But it will make people to subscribe more these news channels in the cyberspace leading the government to lose a vital chunk of the audience base.And it is costly because the government may no longer disseminate and convince people about its own version of an incident. In the end this measure will turn out to be a damp squibs.Free flow of information is the best strategy. If professionalism and free flow of information are at play then the flow will wash away any undesired substance just like a swollen river.Moot point is to stop the free flow of information.

Notes And References:

1 “ Bangladesh Cable Operators Shut Broadcast of Foreign TV Channels with Ads”,bdnews24.com,October 01,2021Link here