Trackback URL
Download PDF The caretaker government is working on how to make the state-run Bangladesh Television (BTV) an effective autonomous body by bringing necessary amendments and adding new provisions to the existing law instead of making a new law.
The council of advisers at a meeting yesterday directed the information ministry to re-examine the existing law — Bangladesh Television Authority Act (BTA) 2001– to reduce government control over BTV as much as possible, meeting sources said.
In the name of giving autonomy to BTV, the law paved the way for more government control over it. But it was not put into effect in the last over six years as the immediate past BNP-led government ignored it. The party’s electoral pledge contained autonomy to BTV.
Now, the caretaker government has initiated steps to enforce this law with necessary amendments in line with the recommendations of the commission formed by the Awami League (AL) government in 1996, the sources said.
The much-talked-about commission had recommended measures to make both the state-run Bangladesh Betar and BTV autonomous bodies.
Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday, Law and Information Adviser Mainul Hosein said the government has decided to amend the existing law to make BTV an autonomous body and asked the information ministry to review the law.
“The law was made over six years ago. Some changes will be made in the law to make it up to date and to ensure autonomy to BTV,” he said.
Earlier, the information adviser had said credibility of BTV and Betar lies in their freedom and autonomy similar to that of BBC.
The council of advisers is yet to decide about autonomy for Betar.
Since the restoration of democratic rule through the mass upsurge in 1990, the three successive governments of BNP and AL in their election manifestos pledged to give autonomy to BTV but did not materialise it. Even during the movement against autocratic Ershad regime, all political alliances and parties had promised autonomy to the state-run electronic media.
Just days before handing over power to a caretaker government, the then AL government in July 2001 passed the BTA to make BTV autonomous. But the law triggered enormous controversy over the government’s sincerity alleging it allowed more control over BTV.
Besides, the law was made ignoring the high profile 16-member commission’s major recommendations submitted after a year of its formation.
The then AL government at the fag end of its tenure in 2001 passed two laws to give autonomy to the state-run media.
While discussing the law ministry’s proposal for enforcement of the BTA yesterday, the council of advisers asked the information ministry to revise the commission’s recommendations and make suggestions that can be incorporated in the existing law. They believe that no political government will give autonomy to the state-run media, which were used by successive governments in the past as their mouthpiece, sources said.
The commission recommended that a single body run both BTV and Betar and that the president appoint the chairman and members of such a body for a five-year term.
But the laws made by the AL government said there will be two separate authorities for Betar and BTV, and the government will appoint the chairmen and members of the two authorities for three years each. And both the authorities will be accountable to the information ministry, and the government will have power to remove the chairmen and members to be chosen from among experienced persons in the fields of education, culture, journalism, administration and broadcasting. Besides, the information ministry will approve the budget of the two media, said the laws.
But the commission recommended that the government cannot remove the chairmen and members and that the National Broadcasting Commission, which will be formed comprising eminent personalities, will approve the budget for the two media. The commission will be accountable to the parliamentary standing committee on information ministry, it suggested.
May 10th, 2008 at 2:59 am
I like to give some information to RAB-7 but i can’t get there mail adress. Plese send me RAB-7’s e-mail adress.