Nurul Kabir Interview Translation
This news of New Age editor Nurul Kabir’s car being chased by armed men is indeed worrying.  We’d like to think this incident is not related to his dissident views.  But in reality that may not be the case.  If this is meant to scare him from speaking his mind, this is very deplorable.  He is an outspoken editor who has made no qualms about talking against the establishment time to time.  He was a fierce critic of the caretaker government and on the day of the recent BDR stand off, before the extent of the violence became public, he was quoted in an AP article attributing the reason of the stand off as  a result of a “long deprivation.” .  He was also featured in various talkshows highlighting ‘military intelligence’ failures and the need for moving military base/campases away from civilian areas for the protection of the innocent civilian lives.  There may be disagreement with his views but these, we believe, are legitimate debates.  However, if this incident is meant to scare him and others like him to keep quiet, this sets a very ominous trend.  We hope he gets extra protection from the government at a sensitive time like now.  Any attempt to gag independent voices must be protested and resisted by all means.Â
photo:  © Shahidul Alam/Drik/Majority World
Urgent Statement from Odhikar:
URGENT STATEMENT
Odhikar’s attention has been drawn to the news item published today in some national dailies that the car of Mr. Nurul Kabir, Editor of New Age and Advisor of Odhikar, was chased by a group of ‘unknown armed motorbike riders’ in the late hours of Thursday, March 5, 2009.
Odhikar is deeply concerned about this development, which amounts to a threat to the life of this outspoken journalist and human rights defender.
Odhikar calls on the government to ensure the personal safety of Mr. Nurul Kabir and members of his family from such heinous acts in future.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
March 10th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Chasing of Nurul Kabir’s car a threat to media, democracy, say citizens
Staff Correspondent
A group of eminent citizens and various organizations on Sunday condemned the chasing of the car of New Age editor Nurul Kabir by a group of unknown armed motorbike riders and termed such an incident a ‘threat to the media as well as democracy’.
Twenty eminent citizens — Professor Serajul Islam Chowdhury, politician Badruddin Umar, litterateur Hasan Azizul Haque, Justice Golam Rabbani, senior journalist Kamal Lohani, litterateur Syed Abul Maksud, architect Sheikh Md Shahidullah, Professor Ahmed Kamal, anthropologist Rahnuma Ahmed, Professor Anu Muammad, women’s rights activist Shirin Haque, Professor Pias Karim, Professor Tasneem Siddiqui, Professor CR Abrar Chowdhury, litterateur Shahin Akter, Professor Akmal Hossain, Raihan Rain, Zahid Akter, Hasan Al Zayed and Mohammad Azam strongly condemned the incident of March 5.
They said that it was important to identify which part of society was behind the chasing of the New Age editor’s car.
‘Threat to Nurul Kabir’s life is a threat to the media as well as the democratic system of the nation. We strongly condemn such an incident,’ they added.
In a separate development, A faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, led by Abdus Shahid and Md Baker Hossain, its president and general secretary respectively, on Sunday expressed concern over, and condemned, the threat to Nurul Kabir’s life.
The journalists’ body, in its executive committee’s meeting, said that such wrongdoing is an impediment to the free flow of the media.
The DUJ urged the government to ensure the security of the lives of media people after such an incident.
Human rights organisation Odhikar, in a statement, also expressed its concern over the issue.
The statement, signed by its president CR Abrar and secretary Adilur Rahman Khan, said that Odhikar was deeply concerned about this incident which amounts to a threat to the life of Kabir, an outspoken journalist and human rights defender.
Odhikar called on the government to ensure the personal safety of Nurul Kabir and members of his family from such heinous acts in future.
The Gano Shanghoti Andolon in a statement condemned the attempted attack on the New Age editor’s car.
Bipratip Sabha in a statement condemned the incident.
The leftist party urged the government to find the people involved in the incident and bring them to court for that terrorist attempt.
Nurul Kabir’s car was chased by six unknown armed motorbike riders on March 5 on its way back home to Uttara. Kabir, however, was not in the car.
His driver, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Al Mamun Nazib, filed a general diary with the Khilkhet police in this regard on March 6.
[Reply]
The right to freedom of expression must be preserved at any cost. We lost many journalist in this quest. Concern citizens must voice outrage against such incident. I do not agree with a few of his observations, but he must keep on writing.
[Reply]
Let’s be clear. Attacking or muzzling press is not good, it shoudl be condemned. Whether it is army or current government or even rival business or someone who doesn’t like what is reported.
But, let us also be clear. Nurul Kabir is no saint. During 2001-6 govermnent, his paper, and his role under its founder editor, was one of appeasement, misinformation, propaganada. Remember how he reported the “allahr mal allahr kase ferot gesey” issue. Or the minority issue and labeled anyone who raised it a traitor.
Again, let me be claer, any threat to him should be condemned. But he is no prisoner of conscience either.
[Reply]
Mir Alam,
We cannot distinguish between those we like and don’t like when it comes to advocating human rights such as freedom of press and freedom of speech. There will be plenty of people disagreeing with your views as well but that doesn’t mean your personal rights should be curbed.
I appreciate that you’ve been clear that you condemn what happened, but no need to bring in our feelings towards an individual even when condemning a curtailing of their rights. Two separate discussions and let’s not dilute the main point by combining them.
[Reply]
maybe its only obliquely related to his politics?
imagine a future where the journalist caste of bangladesh, not my favourite of brethren, are given state security.
[Reply]
Nurul Kabir Shahin is a Sharpe vocalist in TV talk shows. Beyond ethics, he discusses the contemporary issues unilaterally knowing well that other side is absent in the talk show and they don’t have any chance to protest or clarify position. One sided match wining game in deed.
Any threatening act must be condemned whether it is Pen or Pistol.
Corporal Shihab
[Reply]
xanthis Reply:
March 11th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I don’t agree with your views that threats can be condemned by pen or pistol. Pistol cannot be a successful alternative of pen, just like it, pen ain’t a fair alternative of pistol.
But it has previously occurred to me, as you said, that we ain’t getting the responses of what Nurul Kabir has been saying about many people. This is not a world after all with all beautiful things, and it won’t be considered as unusual if Nurul Kabir or somebody else talks against the ugly things. But we should get views of the people who Nurul Kabir or somebody else directly or indirectly accuses for ugly things. Otherwise it remains, as you said, just a “one sided match wining game in deed”.
There is a custom in our journalists, that you will make a first page 4-column story bringing someone from sky to the ground, but when that ’someone’ protests that news, you will publish a 2.5 inches by 4 inches box about the protest in the 3rd page or 4, sometimes in even 5. This is awful and I don’t know if the same thing is happening here.
[Reply]
Corporal Shihab Reply:
March 11th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Dear Xanthis,
You are just talking what our heart says.
You are right saying that any protest finds its position in page 5. More so, in Bangladesh Journalism gets free run not abiding by any custom, rules and regulations. And this is dangerous.
[Reply]
Journey 2 infintive Reply:
March 13th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
“Bangladesh Journalism gets free run not abiding by any custom, rules and regulations. And this is dangerous”
what do you mean by customs Shihab? you even don’t know your such comment
is even more dangerous.
.
Fug,
Journalists in Bangladesh are ‘endangered species’. If birds and animals can be given state security, then why not HUMANS (journalists) ?
But even more vital than state security for journalists, I believe its necessary to give STATE PUNISHMENT to offenders who attack journalists. Attacking journalist must be declared a NATIONAL CRIME, highest possible crime rating in the state, and be given exemplary punishment.
Thats the only way to eliminate crime against freedom of expression.
[Reply]
State protection for journalists is impractical in my view. Added security will limit their mobility and will be hindrance to their profession. The best path is to pursue the offenders, so that nobody goes after journalists.
I don’t care what Nurul Kabir’s views are or if he spews venom against others or his practices are unethical. He must be free to express his views, like Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter does.
[Reply]
journalists arent virtuous. they are just as business minded, vulnerable to gossip spreading and responsible for infantalising the public sphere as other economic activities.
Untill they raise their ethical practice and honesty, and until the public have easy access to libel protection, many will continue to regard them and their spawn as the scum of the earth.
[Reply]
xanthis Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 2:12 am
Though unfortunately, agree with you.
[Reply]
We have seen what role the failed Fakruddin-Moin setup had brought for Bangladesh. Not a single megawatt of power has been added to the national grid. Prices kept on spiralling. Many corrupt officials and politicians were left untouched while some were treated inhumanely and then released. The press was gagged by the fascists. A highly corrupt mayor like Khoka was allowed to operate under their cover. Even a sex-maniac immoral corrupt criminal like Ershad was cultivated as a politician to mess up democracy in the hope of a hung parliament.
Democracy has returned and must be nurtured and caressed. Any attempt to derail it through instigation will backfire. The press must be allowed to speak its mind whether I or anybody like(s) it or not. In a democracy freedom of speech and right to opine without fear is my birthright.
Military dictatorships have bred bloodsheds and criminally corrupted minds like Ershad. It has taken us back to the dark ages as witnessed at Pilkhana recently.
Therefore, I demand that the fascist crooked stalkers be stopped. They must not be allowed to kill democarcy again.
Let democracy flourish: let despicable suffocating dicatorship be trashed forever in the heaps of garbage of history of fascist totalitarianism.
[Reply]
banglababa Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 3:48 am
“Not a single megawatt of power has been added to the national grid. Prices kept on spiralling.”
This is a complete lie perpertuated by pseudo democracy loving loonies lately. In the last two years many megawatts of power has been added and still in the process of adding. don’t let the loonies repeat the lie too much or else it will become the fact.
[Reply]
Rakib Reply:
March 12th, 2009 at 11:03 am
“Even a sex-maniac immoral corrupt criminal like Ershad was cultivated as a politician to mess up democracy in the hope of a hung parliament.”
Let;s assume your statement is correct. If so, what is democratic AL doing or did partnering with Ershad!
And what did AL do in the past 2 months to add the MWs they said they added! Did the process started from bud just in last 2 months plus!
Oops spare me. Its useless trying to speak reason.
[Reply]
Shariar Reply:
March 15th, 2009 at 4:26 am
FYI Democrat – the government added several power plants including ones in fenchuganj, Shahzibazar, Bogura, Bhola and others – read up before commenting. Also if you have any idea of world economics or read ANY international newspapers , sites or even watch satellite TV you would know that the price rise was GLOBAL and local – every country in south asia was affected and in a worse way – so with AL we have to nurture and with the caretaker government we had to oust ASAP? OH yes and lo behold we have democracy so that criminals like Hazari can return as a free man and appear on talk shows and rape a few more women – and 450 MPs are forgiven for their corruption cases and getting killed was the fault of those Army officers and the caretaker government – you should express your views but atleast for your own prestige – please know what you are talking about….
[Reply]
Siraj Reply:
March 15th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Shariar,
You seem to have decided that ranting is the best way to get attention. Not making any sense, mate. or are you suggesting since democracy doesn’t work, we should go for dictatorship? Are you suggesting Bakshal? If not, are you suggesting a 10 man panel to rule our country backed by army forever? Who gets to decided who these 10 person panel be? I hope to get a coherent response minus the rants. If Hasina becomes dictatorial today, I sense that you will not be very happy. But you are still advocating the dictatorship of the ‘right’ kind? Who gets to decided what is right? Why is the current govt. that came to power so bad?
Was everything right in the CTG govt? Then why 85 percent people opted for them to go?
[Reply]
Shariar Reply:
March 15th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
So let me understand this correctly – because i am objecting to totally baseless comments which are inaccurate i am ranting? Did i call any names? whether the previous govt was good or bad was easy to judge based on the fact that in the absence of public uprising (which seems to be a prerequisite for any democratic election in this country) they conducted a fair election, they seperated judiciary, they jailed people abusing the legal system of the country and most importantly they put an end to the neverending political violence – two years we had without hartals, without major violence. Now we see universities closing down because of violent clashes wihtin the ruling govt. to answer your question – yes we should have resorted to the dictatorship rather the elected dictatorship we have been seeing for the past twenty years – Ershad, Mujib and Zia, all with their own short comings were united in this realisation – Yes the price for that would be the possiblity for corruption is even greater but we saw that not being the case during the CTG rule – what we needed was a good dictator and we had one for the past two years and we just blew it…
ArmyDalal Reply:
March 15th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Was everything right in the CTG govt? Then why 85 percent people opted for them to go?
Where did you get this statistic?
Siraj Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
ArmyDalal,
Here is the poll in question. The number was 87 percent to be more precise:
http://www.newagebd.com/2008/dec/25/front.html#5
Re: Majority of orgs in BD meet the “dishonest” description that FUG made about journalists (which I dont agree), but that should give nobody the right to chase them in motorbikes, or burn them in their homes. That is a much bigger crime than “gossip”.
A journalist (or whoever) who abuses his JOB, by fraud or dishonesty must be disciplined by his own Newspaper or Company, and the newspaper must be responsible for such abuse, not the individual.
If “press freedom” is the symbol of democracy, then first step to achieve democracy must be to protect the press. Those who criminally attack the press, are usually the corrupt goons of society who have been exposed by journalists, and they are the ones who are real “scum of the earth”, not journalists.
[Reply]
Believe me most of us here are waiting with the heart to have enough respect for all the journalists. We were discussing about Nurul Kabir and someone mentioned Coutler in here. Well It’s to be appreciated that people should keep going with the views mentioned journalists have. You know not a lot of journalists are used to have that kind of voice. But when we are here to talk about Bangladeshi journalists in general, the thing I talked about in my previous comment often appears as a concern. It has been almost certain that our journalists have become a closed community where they seem to be less accountable than they pretend to be. They are quite meant to practice the art of criticism but well they are rarely seen to be comfortable about taking criticism. You just look at them all of them have very well denoted political beliefs and there has been a clear political polarization between them (like all other sectors in Bangladesh) where most of them belong to any of the two certain poles. There are a lot of journalists who however are respected by many of us, but you can guess what he wrote in his column when you see the name and are informed about which pole he eventually belongs to. According to the principles of information technology, if a content has high amount of predictability, the information count is to be taken as zero. So ultimately we have come to this.
If any of my sayings provide an idea that I have hatred about the journalists, It’s merely wrong. None of the people like to be someone having hatred for the journalists. And I like to mention it is completely up to the journalists themselves that whether they’ll like to be distant from the commons or otherwise.
[Reply]
The caretaker concept was not launched to let duffers like Fakruddin and his ghushti to screw up Bangladesh.
It has not yielded anything good for Bangladesh. Appointing Fakruddin itself has been wrong as he had no administrative experience (never became a secretary) and former chief justices were sidelined to let a subservient boot-licking civilian serve his foreign and native masters.
[Reply]
Polasirsation! Yes.
Read the names who protested. where are the others?
Where is thier own institution!
Asafaddaula would have been left us, where is the outcry? What did the other editors do?
Cant they bring up their own institiution for their own safety or like their mentors they also look up to them.
[Reply]
guys – is anyone out there worried about youtube censorship??? ahh not guess not – thats not curtiling journalism or freedom of speech but security measures – The press is biased and crap – as far as i am concerned freedom of speech hould be there but it should also be balanced by freedom to retribute against cheap journalism
[Reply]
xanthis Reply:
March 17th, 2009 at 2:23 am
Well, didn’t get too worried about the Youtube ban because http://www.hidemyass.com did quite good. It’s been just like an online browser where you can put any web address you like (blocked or unblocked), it will take you there. Chinese, Burmese and Pakistani internet veterans haven’t been upset because of sites like this.
[Reply]
Shahriar, just have a quick scan through past few posts and you will find the youtube link. Please do criticism but keep it constructive. BTW youtube ban has been lifted after two days – thanks to all the blog’s campaign including this one.
[Reply]
Shariar Reply:
March 15th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
so tell me how my comments are not constructive? did not know we had to adhere to someones specific quality parameters to comment….
I am pointing out that we see all this outrage for the journalist being chased and nothing for youtube being blocked- glad to see it has been lifted – but i think thanks more to the newspapers and media rather than blog campaigns
[Reply]
You said:
guys – is anyone out there worried about youtube censorship??? ahh not guess not – thats not curtiling journalism or freedom of speech but security measures
This is not constructive. Because only three days ago, youtube ban was extensively discussed and campaigned for and the ban had already been lifted.
[Reply]
Shariar Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 3:12 am
sorry that my timing was bad – was travelling past few days and not up to date on the latest developments- my point was, in spite of this item having been posted after the youtube article, the amount of outrage seems to be higher for this partiular issue….. next time i will keep the facts and evidence against lies to myself – maybe then i will be deemed as constructive. BTW (referring to your other comment) assuming your statistic of 85 percent wanting the CTG to go is correct – can you please tell me how much of those 85 percent are literate in the sense that they read newspapers and know of world economic trends? to clarify, as you seem to grasp things only after elaborate explanaiton, just because a farmer who believes everything in the media is correct, who has little or no knowledge of macroeconomics, world food and oil prices, says that the CTG did a bad job in controlling prices and therefore should go does not make it right – but hey that is what democracy is right – equal decision weightage to all people, qualified or otherwise……
[Reply]
Siraj Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Nah, I don’t hold the elitist view that bhodroloks know best. That’s where we fundamentally disagree. A comparative analysis of Zia, Ershad days vs the last 15 years of democracy will show that we did better when we resorted to people’s will. Similarly, the last two years wasn’t that great either.
[Reply]
zafar Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
the trope that fahruddin ctg was a bhodrolok/elite putsch is moronic. just because iftekhar choudhury himself said so, doesn’t make it any less so. how exactly is the party of morshed khan, moudud ahmed, salahuddin quader choudhury et al any less elite than the fakhruddin ctg?
Morshed Khan, Moudud Ahmed, Salahuddin Quader Choudhury aren’t really bhodroloks in the strict sense of the word.
[Reply]
zafar bi :: well said abt bhodrolok as moronic, mentioning iftekhar chy i well remember his enthusiasm during his stint in the ctg, regarding milk & honey soon flowing with the road constt via burma to china & thailand.
since zafar bi, today’s The Daily Star 1st page headlined”tension along burma border” details shud make all bloggers sit up & watch. as apparently the entire air,naval & land forces of burma are ready for showdown, while our intelligence agency may not be aware even!!! wake up guys even recently, D.U’s Prof. Shahiduzzaman predicted about this menace.
[Reply]