The government should immediately revoke a new media policy that imposes draconian restrictions on media freedom, Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Wednesday.
Donors should make it clear to the government that limits on freedom of expression that violate international law are unacceptable, the statement read, adding that the policy contains overly broad language and imprecise definitions that appear aimed at significantly curtailing critical reporting.
“This policy exemplifies how little appreciation the government has for free speech,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This vague policy will allow the government to take arbitrary action against those it sees as its political opponents and could be a precursor to legislation that would lead to censorship and criminal penalties.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s veiled threats in defence of the media policy are of particular concern, Human Rights Watch said.
The clause restricting the reporting of “anarchy, rebellion, or violence” seems aimed at limiting reporting of opposition protests, and because none of the key terms are defined, media would be susceptible to arbitrary enforcement, the New York-based human rights body added.
“This policy is a frontal assault on media freedom, which is essential as a check on government power, corruption, and human rights abuses, among many other issues,” Adams said. “It empowers an increasingly authoritarian state with tools to go after critics. It needs to be revoked if the government is serious about its commitment to freedom.”
Human Rights Watch noted that the slippery slope allowed by the media policy could have broad-ranging effects and that no media area is exempt from its reach.
Hasina claimed that the media policy was modelled on the BBC media policy guidelines but the foundations underlining the BBC policy are absent from the Bangladeshi policy, Human Rights Watch said.
