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Amar Desh

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Amar Desh (Bengali: আমার দেশ) is a defunct[6] daily newspaper in Bangladesh, published from Dhaka in the Bengali language since 2004.[7] Amar Desh provides news about Bangladesh from local and regional perspectives and covers international news. Amar Desh is considered a popular newspaper in Bangladesh.[8][9] The newspaper was closed down by the Awami League led Government of Bangladesh .[10]

Amar Desh
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Owner(s)Amar Desh Publications
Founder(s)Mohammad Mosaddak Ali
Enayetur Rahman Bappi[1]
PublisherMahmudur Rahman
EditorMahmudur Rahman, since 2008
Managing editorSyed Abdal Ahmed[2][3]
News editorJahed Chowdhury (news)[2]
Hasan Hafiz (culture)[2]
Staff writersOliullah Noman (former staff reporter)[4]
Founded2004
LanguageBengali
Relaunchedamardesh.co.uk
HeadquartersAmar Desh Publications
446/C-446/D Tejgaon Industrial Area
Dhaka
Bangladesh
Circulation200,000 (daily)[5]

The Awami League government has twice closed down the newspaper, and both times its censorship occurred in conjunction with the arrests of editor Mahmudur Rahman. On 1 June 2010, the editor was arrested and the government shut the newspaper down for 10 days.[8][11] On 11 April 2013, he was arrested again for publishing the Skype conversations between Mohammed Nizamul Huq, the lead justice of Bangladesh's war crimes trials and Ahmed Ziauddin, and the suppression of the newspaper was continued by the Awami League government.[12][13]

Overview

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Amar Desh provides news coverage on Bangladesh from both local and regional perspectives, while also including international news. It was considered a popular opposition newspaper in Bangladesh, often taking an editorial stance aligned with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).[citation needed]

Shut Down

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The Awami League government has shut down Amar Desh twice, both times coinciding with the arrest of its editor, Mahmudur Rahman, and imposed censorship on the newspaper. On June 1, 2010, the editor was arrested, and the government temporarily closed the newspaper for 10 days. On April 11, 2013, Rahman was arrested again after Amar Desh published leaked Skype conversations between the Chief Justice of Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal and Ahmed Ziauddin, leading to further suppression of the newspaper.[citation needed]

Critics argue that these actions by the newspaper damaged the reputation of the war crimes tribunal and exacerbated religious tensions, which eventually contributed to riots and violence.[citation needed]

Relaunch Efforts

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The popular newspaper Amar Desh, which was shut down under pressure from the previous government, is actively preparing for a comeback. All necessary approvals, including clearance from the DC office, Department of Films and Publications (DFP), and the Special Branch, have already been obtained. Official paperwork has been completed as well. However, due to its long closure, the entire printing press has fallen into disrepair, and much of the equipment has been looted and rendered unusable. As a result, Amar Desh has signed a contract with Al-Falah Printing Press for future print runs.[citation needed]

Currently, administrative operations are being carried out from a temporary office in Puran Paltan, while a new office location has been identified in Karwan Bazar. Preparations are underway to bring the newspaper back to its readers by December of 2024.[citation needed]

History

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Mosaddek Ali Falu, a BNP politician, and Enayetur Rahman Bappi, NTV's managing director, officially launched Amar Desh on 23 September 2004. The newspaper was sold in 2008 while Falu was serving a prison term for corruption.[1][14][15] Journalist Amanullah Kabir was the editor of Amar Desh before it changed hands. At the time of the management change, Ataus Samad was the acting editor. Mahmudur Rahman and 20 other investors took ownership and formed a new board of directors 6 October 2008. Rahman became the chairperson of Amar Desh Publications Ltd.[1] Hashmat Ali was listed as publisher.[16] Rahman became acting editor.[9]

In 2010, Rahman described Amar Desh before his arrest: "We are the third largest national daily and have the second largest Internet readership."[17] In 2013, the circulation of Amar Desh rose sharply to 200,000 copies daily. An issue of Amar Desh is sold for 12 taka.[5]

Editorial focus

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About the purpose of Amar Desh, Mahmudur Rahman, the owner and editor, said,

Our main objective is to wage a battle against corruption, protect our independence and uphold national and people's interest above everything else. ... basically it's a paper for upholding all rights of people and struggling to play an ideal and ideologically sound role of an independent media and all these role will continue in future too.[18]

In 2010, Rahman described Amar Desh's approach: "I have in my journalism exposed the government's record on corruption and human rights abuses extensively."[17] He has also said Amar Desh is against fascism.[19]

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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and other organisations have said that the Awami League government has conducted "judicial harassment" against Mahmudur Rahman and his paper.[20][21] In 2010, Reporters Without Borders said that the Awami League party was "clearly unable to tolerate criticism from this opposition newspaper."[22] In 2013, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement expressing concern about "the official harassment" of Amar Desh.[23]

The Awami League party revoked the license of Amar Desh on 1 June 2010. The Bangladesh Police arrested its editor Mahmudur Rahman and using police force closed down Amar Desh. The High Court later reversed the government after 10 days, and Amar Desh was allowed to continue publication. Later, the Appellate Division denied the appeal.[8][9][24] However, the Supreme Court sentenced Rahman to prison for contempt for a 10 May Amar Desh article, headlined, "Farce in the name of independent justice," for which he served 9 months, 17 days. The reporter Oliullah Noman was also sentenced to one month in prison and an additional Tk 10,000 or 1 more week prison.[25][26] Noman said, "Though I have no idea about what was wrong with the report, I was jailed."[27] Hashmat Ali, the publisher, was fined Tk 10,000 or 1 week prison.[25][26]

On 11 April 2013, Bangladesh police again closed down the Amar Desh newspaper after Rahman's arrest for publishing materials from the Skype conversations,[28][12] but the Amar Desh was able to distribute a limited edition for the next three days in Dhaka, which led to a government raid on The Daily Sangram.[13][29] Magistrate Nasrin Sultana filed a suit against Sangram's publisher and editor Abul Asad Saturday for printing issues of Amar Desh. In Bangladesh, the Printing Presses and Publications Act of 1973 requires the printing of newspapers to be registered, and the government had sealed Amar Desh's printing office.[29] Police searched the premises of Sangram in the late evening and confiscated over 6,000 copies of the Amar Desh and then arrested 19 workers. The court sent the printers directly to jail and denied their petitions for a remand and bail.[30][31] Rahman's mother is the acting head at Amar Desh in Rahman's absence.[32] Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said Amar Desh could resume printing from another site once it had an order from Dhaka's magistrate.[33]

According to Amnesty International, over 50 cases have been filed against Amar Desh, Mahmudur Rahman and the staff.[34] Among them are:

  • In April 2013, another Awami League politician, Minister Suranjit Sengupta, sued Amar Desh staff for defamation over a story that appeared in its edition of 31 March 2013. The story alleged that Sengupta had taken bribes from an orphanage, which the Minister Without Portfolio denies.[35][16]

Safety and security issues

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In 2005, Bangladesh police attacked and beat Nayeem Parvez, a photojournalist, and 6 other journalists from other outlets when they were covering a protest about a student who had been killed in a traffic-related accident.[36] Rafiqul Islam, a journalist, was attacked by students of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal at the Durgapur Press Club in Rajshahi.[37] Zakaria Mahmud and six journalists from other newspapers received death threats in the mail from someone who sent the letters from Bagerhat who did not like the reporting about a member of parliament.[38] Amar Desh editor Ataus Samad also received a death threat in December that had been issued by the Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh, an Islamist organisation which had threatened 55 journalists in Bangladesh between September and December 2005.[39]

In 2006, a journalist from the newspaper was among 8 injured by police when a group of journalist were attempting to communicate with the court about BNP attacks on the Dainik Andolaner Bazar newspaper.[40] A member of parliament ordered the beating of Amar Desh journalist Mizanur Rahman Kawser in Comilla before he was turned over to the police and his house was ransacked.[41] An attempt on Amar Desh journalist Ansar Hossain's life was made on account of a crime story he was working on, while Oliullah Noman's life was threatened by a politician from the Nezame Islam Party for writing a critical story that appeared in the newspaper.[42]

In 2007, the building housing NTV, RTV and Amar Desh, which were all owned at the time by Mosaddek Ali Falu, were burned down killing 3 and injuring around 100, less than one month after his arrest on 5 February.[43][44] The military's caretaker government established curfews in August 2007 and assaulted and detained journalists, including Amar Desh journalist Nesar Ahmed.[45]

In 2010, Mahmudur Rahman was tortured by Bangladesh Police while in custody after the Awami League government ordered the newspaper shut down.[46][18][47] He described his torture to the court:

Your honour, please save my life. I am not supposed to be alive after the level of torture I have experienced at the cantonment police station. I was blindfolded and stripped by five men in the lock-up. I fainted after they pressed me on the chest and back."[48]

This followed his arrest, in which 200 police were used to forcibly close down Amar Desh.[49]

In 2013, photojournalist Mir Ahmed Miru was injured while covering clashes between the Shahbag protesters and the followers of the Jamat-e-Islami party. In all, 26 journalists and bloggers were reported injured in various incidents.[50]

Notable works journalism

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Aminul Islam

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Amar Desh published on 6 April 2012 the photograph of a man whose identity was unknown at the time and who had been murdered and found by the Tangail police. From the published photo in Amar Desh, the family was able to recognise him and then identified him as labour organiser Aminul Islam. Islam's murder is still unsolved but his case gained international attention from AFL-CIO and the US State Department.[51]

Open letter

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It published an open letter by Shah Ahmad Shafi named An Open Letter from Shah Ahmad Shafi to the Government and the Public, which initiating the Islamist response to the Shahbag protests.[52]

Controversies

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Skype controversy

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Main article: 2012 ICT Skype controversy

The Economist and Amar Desh both published leaked conversations between the head justice of Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal, Nizamul Huq and international lawyer Ahmed Ziauddin in December 2012. The Economist was the first to report about the inappropriate contacts. Amar Desh staff reporter Oliullah Noman said "a foreign source" had given the material to the newspaper.[53] Huq resigned from the ICT on 11 December 2012 as a result.[54] On 13 December, the Bangladesh court prohibited media from publishing the Skype conversations: "Recording of a private conversation, if the persons don't know about it, is an offence. Publishing of such recorded conversation is thus inevitably the outcome of that offence."[55] The New Age reported that Amar Desh published the materials until the court ruled that they should be withheld from public consumption.[56][57] After reporting on the story for Amar Desh, Noman left Bangladesh for the United Kingdom and is currently seeking political asylum there because of what he said were threats made by Bangladesh's government.[4] Editor Mahmudur Rahman was charged with sedition on 13 December 2012 and lawyers argued that Amar Desh should be shut down.[58][59] Rahman was arrested 11 April 2013 and remanded for 13 days, and the case against him is ongoing.[28]

Fabricated news about Mecca Imams

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See also: 2013 Shahbag protests

On 6 December 2012, Amar Desh published an article called Imams form human chain against oppression of Alems. The word "Alems" is used for Muslim scholars. The article was about Muslim leaders in Mecca who protested against the focus on Muslims by war crimes court in Bangladesh. However, a blogger attempted to verify the photos and news from Arabic websites and reported that the news from those sites were about something else.[60] Dainik Sangram later pulled its story and issued an apology. The Amar Desh newspaper also removed the online version of the news item without correction or comment.[61][62]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "New owners take over Amar Desh". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 7 October 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "Amar Desh goes off the press". Daily Sun (Bangladesh). Dhaka. 16 April 2013. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Sabuj, Abdal re-elected President, Gen Secy". banglamail24.com. 30 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  4. ^ a b "ICT Skype Scandal: Journalist Left Country facing Life Threat". Taza Khobor. 24 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Bangladesh arrests editor of top pro-opposition daily". Live Mint. Agence France-Presse. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Copyrighted - by the Bangladesh state?". Netra News. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Amar Desh contempt case adjourned". bdnews24.com. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  8. ^ a b c Greenslade, Roy (3 June 2010). "Bangladesh newspaper closed down". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  9. ^ a b c "Govt closes Amar Desh". bdnews24.com. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  10. ^ "Govt closes Amar Desh". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Amar Desh resumes publication". The New Nation. 12 June 2010. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013 – via HighBeam Research.
  12. ^ a b "Amar Desh press sealed". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  13. ^ a b "Sangram press raided". bdnews24.com. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  14. ^ "Falu, ex-min Altaf stopped at airport". bdnews24.com. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  15. ^ "Ntv MD Bappy quits". bdnews24.com. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  16. ^ a b "Amar Desh editor prosecuted". New Age. 4 April 2013. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  17. ^ a b "Hundreds of police shut down pro-opposition newspaper". IFEX.org. 9 June 2010. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  18. ^ a b Hossain, Mohsin (1 February 2013). "Gagging media is an old habit of AL: Mahmudur". Prime News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  19. ^ "Amar Desh against fascism: Mahmudur Rahman". banglanews24.com. 23 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  20. ^ Yuan, Elizabeth; Ahmed, Farid (1 March 2013). "Seeking war crimes justice, Bangladesh protesters fight 'anti-Islam' label". CNN. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  21. ^ "Ongoing judicial harassment against Mr. Mahmudur Rahman – BGD 001 / 0610 / OBS 075.3". International Federation for Human Rights. 8 April 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
  22. ^ "Opposition daily closed, force used to arrest editor". Reporters Without Borders. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  23. ^ Dietz, Bob (16 April 2013). "Bangladesh harasses staff, press affiliated with Amar Desh". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  24. ^ "No bar to Amar Desh republication". bdnews24.com. 18 July 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  25. ^ a b "Mahmudur jailed for contempt of court". New Statesman. 19 August 2010. Archived from the original on 22 August 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
  26. ^ a b "Contempt of court: Amar Desh editor Mahmud jailed for 6 months Reporter Oli gets one month, publisher Hashmat fined". banglanews24.com. 19 August 2010. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  27. ^ "Jail now possible for telling truth". Bdnews24.com. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  28. ^ a b "Amar Desh acting editor held, put on 13-day remand". The Independent (Bangladesh). Dhaka. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  29. ^ a b "Amar Desh will resume publication after legal battle". The Daily Ittefaq. 16 April 2013. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  30. ^ "Sangram Editor Sued (Update)". BDINN. 14 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  31. ^ "19 Amar Desh press staff sent to jail". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 14 April 2013. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  32. ^ "Sangram Editor sued". bdnews24.com. 14 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  33. ^ "Amar Desh can be published from elsewhere". bdnews24.com. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  34. ^ "Bangladesh: Climate of impunity prevents adequate protection of human rights: Amnesty International submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review" (PDF). Amnesty International. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  35. ^ "Amar Desh editor sued over report". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 4 April 2013. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  36. ^ "Violence against the press on the rise". IFEX.org. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  37. ^ "Violent attacks on the press continue". IFEX.org. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  38. ^ "Eight journalists receive death threats". IFEX.org. 2 September 2005. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  39. ^ "CAPSULE REPORT: Wave of Islamist terror sweeps over press at year's end". IFEX.org. 4 January 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  40. ^ "Police attack journalists protesting earlier BNP attack on newspaper; eight injured". IFEX.org. 2 June 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  41. ^ "Three journalists suffer harassment by politicians, one beaten at behest of ruling party parliamentarian". IFEX.org. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  42. ^ "Journalist receives death threats, police protection withdrawn for six threatened media outlets as European Parliament adopts resolution on violence against the media". IFEX.org. 22 November 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  43. ^ "Two television stations off-air, newspaper's operations reduced, after fatal fire". IFEX.org. 27 February 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  44. ^ "Journalists Persecuted During Anti-Corruption Drive". IFEX.org. 20 March 2007. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  45. ^ "CPJ concerned by restrictions on media coverage of crisis; several journalists assaulted, detained and harassed". IFEX.org. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  46. ^ "Bangladesh: Mahmudur Rahman torture claim". Index on Censorship. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  47. ^ "Amar Desh shut". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  48. ^ "Acting editor of suspended newspaper says he was tortured in police custody". IFEX.org. 16 June 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  49. ^ "Newspaper editor granted bail in fraud case but kept in custody on separate charges". IFEX.org. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  50. ^ "Journalists and protesters injured in Bangladesh demonstrations". IFEX.org. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  51. ^ Yardley, Jim (9 September 2012). "Fighting for Bangladesh Labor, and Ending Up in Pauper's Grave". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  52. ^ White Paper: 2000 Days of Fundamentalist and Communal Violence in Bangladesh (in Bengali). Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212: Public Commission to Investigate Fundamentalist and Communal Terrorism. 2022. p. 52.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  53. ^ "Jamat is highly suspected, The Economist might even be in trouble". Banglareport.com. 12 December 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  54. ^ "Justice Nizamul quits International Crimes Tribunal". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 11 December 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  55. ^ "Skype scandal gag on media". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 14 December 2012.
  56. ^ "Sabotaging? Oh no, no way". bdnews24.com. 4 January 2013.
  57. ^ "HC questions legality of hacking e-mail, Skype". New Age (Bangladesh). 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  58. ^ "Bangladesh tribunal extends deadline for two journalists to reply to notice". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 4 February 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  59. ^ "Sedition case filed against Amar Desh editor, publisher". The Daily Star (Bangladesh). 13 December 2013. Archived from the original on 15 February 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  60. ^ "Amar Desh, Sangram withdraw fake Ka'aba protest news". deutschenews24.de. 9 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  61. ^ Niloy, Suliman (8 January 2013). "Amar Desh, Sangram retract Ka'aba news". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  62. ^ Manik, Julfikar Ali (17 March 2013). "Where LIES reign supreme". Daily Star. Archived from the original on 17 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
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