A decade or so ago, a portion of the print media used to bring out motivated news and act as playthings of some political parties. Their impact was so profound that the masses had to remain confused as to many news items. Political mouthpieces are still there but the conscious readers and commoners are now enjoying heyday as to their "right to know" thanks to the print media.

There was such an observation among many that the media were a lot more effective than the opposition parties as a whole in highlighting the misdeeds of the party leaders and thus had a key role in AL's debacle in 2001. To be candid, such was the strength of the then 4-Party Alliance that they couldn't even threaten the AL government, let alone dislodge it. However, one will fool himself if one considers that stance of the media as anti-AL.

Interestingly, the same media are now equally vocal against the wrongdoings of the present government and leaving no stone unturned to let people know what is happening overtly and covertly. Sincere efforts are also there to persuade and alert the government. But the present government, like its predecessors, seems not set to pay heed. Maybe it need not bother because it will either remain in power forever or come back to power after a respite of only 5 years!

Now, I just want to refer to a few phenomena -- though the list is selective and comprises rather recent ones -- about which the understanding is fairly clear:

• Militants were nonexistent and media creations in the eyes of the government policy makers even a few months back. It is the government that will have to bear the brunt of the liability for its initial denial and subsequent mishandling which reinforced the militants. However, the damage militancy has done to our national image will no doubt take a long time to heal. Have the media warnings not delivered?
• Admittedly, anti-adulteration issue was brought to fore by the media. Later on, policy makers and officials showed keen interest. Did the media not facilitate and supplement things in the government's anti-adulteration campaign as well?
• Killings in Crossfire got started and a temporary lull in law and order situation was claimed. And such killings are on. Is Crossfire not sort of a jungle law in a civilized setting? In the backdrop of such killings, is there any room for rule of law, constitution, legal system, and human rights? Did the media not put things in perspective on the question of legitimacy of the killings?
• What is being heard about Public Service Commission? The government seems to enjoy and exacerbate predicament of millions of unemployed yet qualified youth in the country. Did the media not try to stop the rot by persuading the government to mend things?
• Unprecedented anomalies have been resorted to by the government in management of personnel functions, thus tearing apart the morale of the civil service. Did the media not send wake-up calls time and again?
• Our State Minister for Home Affairs discovered a Hindu militant. It could well have taken the shape of an unprecedented communal oppression had Yadab not been acquitted of the charge. Did the media not play a crucial role in finding out the truth?
• Like PSC, Election Commission (EC) has gone literally crazy. The media people have even been mistreated in the process and turned out to be scapegoats. Have the media really put things out of context?
• Last but not least, price hike has become the order of the day. The government cares little about its impact on the people, especially the marginalized millions. Ironically, the people have nowhere to go for remedy. Does the government not have the mechanism and machinery to put a hold or does it have a vested interest in drastic and regular price hike? Did the media not warn about the present and future effects of unabated price hike?

While many of our intellectuals capable of guiding the nation as well as the state machinery cringe to the political leadership of their leanings so as not to miss out on licking whatever trickles down from the latter and just cannot rise above partisanship and shy away from speaking the truth lest the leaders get cross with them, a bunch -- not, of course, all -- of dedicated media people are outstandingly true to their job despite all the odds.

The media people are persistently being termed as media terrorists, pen terrorists, and what not. Is it mere hyperbole that Bangladesh has turned out to be one among the most dangerous countries for journalists? To crown it all, Bangladesh government is now contemplating on moves to tie up the media, especially the print media and that too, under the auspices of legal provisions. Motive behind this move is nothing other than throttling the people's freedom of information.

Hence, in view of the government's reported attempt, a very legitimate plea to the government: Please do not enact any law so as to restrict the freedom of the media and deprive us of our fundamental right. Even if such a black law is enacted, non-compliance should be the best compliance or else the very liberty of the people is bound to be jeopardized.

Kazi SM Khasrul Alam Quddusi is Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong.