A number of senior journalists, with credentials of working with top international broadcasting agencies, questioned the “sheer reluctance” on part of German Broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) in “divulging” wholesome credentials of an offshore portal , headed by the son in law of Bangladesh’s octogenarian opposition leader.
Recently, DW partnered with the portal, introducing it as a “Swedish” based one, but did not disclose it was run by a US state department affiliated body drawing condemnation from senior journalists who branded it “as a classic textbook case of misleading audience with propaganda under the pretence of a “work of independent journalism”.
This fresh wave of condemnation came hot on the heels on DW’s release of a 30 mint long documentary, in a “surprise” joint production hiding identity of a bunch of “activists run offshore portal”, who emerged self confessed echo chamber of US and often peddle narrative in favour of Islamist opposition alliance,.
“How can a state run broadcaster forge official ties in this level at the first place to carry out what they packaged as a “serious work of investigation to unravel allegations on human rights reports with a portal that already stands exposed as a scare mongering site, steeped in a litany of frightening projections at the height of pandemic, let alone being funded by an controversial arm of US state department” they questioned.
DW’s defence for collaborating with that Swedish based news portal clearly fell flat as the broadcaster kept a mum over NN’s lost cover of neutrality as one of its editors made a “futile” exercise to whitewash the dismal records of rights issues of the country’s opposition alliance at a discussion in European Union.
Just months before the broadcast of that “error-ridden” documentary on Bangladesh, Tasneem Khalil, a self-exiled activist, echoed a similar tune of fugitive opposition leader Tarique Rahman, putting out a seemingly “out-of-the place” defence in favor of the country’s Islamist alliance—Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami”.
“Normal situation in human rights” existed until return of elected Awami League led government in 2009 what Kahlil went on record saying in the discussion, regardless of the fact that the last regime of Begum Zia led BNP Jamaat between 2001 and 2006 was described as “a reign of terror” by highly acclaimed investigative journalist including Bertil Litner and others.
From rise of Al Qeada inspired terror groups to targeted attacks on minorities to physical liquidation of then opposition party AL’s secular leaders to assassination attempt on then opposition leader Sheikh Hasina among other terrorist activities featured heavily in media reports.
Even at the height of Covid pandemic, NN projected “millions of death in Bangladesh”, “vaccine would never arrive under sheikh Hasina”, and “a complete breakdown in health system” are such dire predictions peddled from social media and the portal.
According to anti war crimes campaigners and war heroes NN also attempted to defend war criminals as it found appropriate to publish a column from a writer already discredited for helping bolster Pak army’s effort to stop recognisition of the 1971 genocide.
No wonder, the writer Sarmila Bose referring to David Bergman as one of two prima donnas whose opinions she cared about also drew ire from country’s war heroes.
“The word ‘independent’ has been abused and exploited. True independence depends on many other factors, said Ruben Banerjee, a former editor with Aljazera.
“As I am against the government, I am independent. But, I can work for the opposition too. Then I am not independent. We don’t cross-check that or think. So the definition of independence or what is now trendy is that independent means anti-government.”
“I can say that it’s very shoddy journalism and that shouldn’t have happened” he observed in an interview following a furor over DW’s projection of NN as an independent one, regardless of a plethora of “fear mongering lies”, as exposed earlier in media reports.
“If I lead an organization, my journalists will be responsible for the journalism for that organization because journalism must comply with a process – from conducting investigations to talking to people, and cross-checking”, added Ruben who also authored a number of books including a recent bestseller ” Editor Missing.”
Former BBC’s North East India Bureau Chief Subir Bhaumik questioned the funding of the Netranews US’s National Endowment for Democracy.
Citing a magnum opus, “The US Intelligence Community”, authored by Jeffrey T RaIchelson, a celebrated global expert on US intelligence, Bhaumik revealed: “In addition, activities such as the support of political parties or broadcasting that would have been conducted as covert operations are now often done overtly. Thus, the National Endowment for Democracy provided support to Nicaraguan political parties who ran against the Sandinistas in the 1990 elections.”
Richelson quotes a secret Sept 22, 1989 National Security Directive that declared: “The Department of State shall undertake a vigorous overt program to support a free and fair election process. Every effort will be made, consistent with US law, to assist the democratic opposition to compete effectively with the Sandinista regime.”
Like that campaign against Sandinista regime, he pointed out Bergman’s father in law’s association with the BNP Jamaat led alliance, as kamal led the alliance in last parliamentary election, in that case and the broadcasting linked to Netra, given the portal’s long track record of “triggering scare campaign at the height of Covid”.
“During my BBC days, many activists like Khalil and Bergman came and pleaded for a joint collaboration with bbc but never did BBC allow such affiliation’ he added.
Farid Hossain, a former bureau chief of Associated Press, rather took on a series of independent projections of the duo behind that portal, who, under similar facade of an independent observer peddled smears against the premier, much in sync with what Dr Kamal peddled here in Bangladesh in a bid to grab state power.
He pointed out a similar independent projection of Bergman, by Aljazera, Doha based outlet, that published another “insinuation and innuendo ridden work, ostensibly with a opposition portal like headline “All the PM’s men”, with little focus on substance rather much stress on opposition’s rhetoric but package it as Aj independent view point , added Farid.
“Since the days of war crimes trial, Bergman’s writing in favour of war criminals acted as an affront to millions of families who were waiting for decades to ensure justice” he added.
In reference to “disinformation campaigns during Covid, veteran journalist Syed Badrul Ahsan, who also authored a number of books on historic incidents, said, “The naysayers and the doomsday prophets should have been careful with their projections. A responsible opposition must see beyond the ambition to gain power. It does itself little credit when it looks away from the good done by the government of the day.”
“Hiding records of such smear campaigns against the PM, upholding opposition narrative but projecting them as independent are utterly so disparate, sort of worst editorial judgement, per excellence, added Prof Ajoy Das Gupta, who even fought the county’s liberation war.
“Given the funding of Netra comes from NED and it’s editor married to opposition leader’s daughter, it wont be a disservice to journalism to call them US funded and opposition backed political narrative, a classic textbook case of propaganda work”, he added.
According to Toufique Khalidi, who employed Bergman for a brief stint in Bdnews, “he prioritises activism over journalism in his work and is an activist.”
