Shahidul Alam: Bangladesh is 'an autocracy by any means'

[Black_cats]

Shahidul Alam: Bangladesh is 'an autocracy by any means'

We speak with the Bangladeshi human rights activist about his arrest and why his government thinks he's a threat.

20 Apr 2019 09:09 GMT Press Freedom, Bangladesh, Media, Journalism, Human Rights

https://www.aljazeera.com/programme...ngladesh-autocracy-means-190419164303568.html

Award-winning photojournalist and human rightsactivist Shahidul Alam was arrested in August 2018 shortly after appearing on Al Jazeera to discuss anti-government student protests.

After 107 days in jail, Alam was released, but could still face a prison sentence of 14 years in prison over violations of what human rights groups have called a repressive digital security law, which gives the Bangladeshi police the power to monitor people's online activity and arrest critics without warrants.

He is currently challenging the legality of that law in the High Court.

"It's about freedom of expression and certainly that is the main stake of any democracy," Alam told UpFront. "If we lose this case then it will be a very very poor signal for journalists and people at large."

Asked whether Bangladesh was still a functioning democracy, Alam said: "Not in the way it operates ... It's an autocracy by any means. It has been for some time ... I left Bangladesh in 1972, a free country. I came back to find a military dictator. There was an election, we tried to bring down the general, but elections didn't lead to a democratic process, and none of the political parties we've had have practised democracy since then."

"I think pretty much all the regimes we've had in the past have played the same role. It's just that it's at a level today which we've never had before."

In this special interview, we ask Alam whether Bangladesh is sliding towards autocracy, why the government is trying to silence him, and what is at stake for Bangladeshis if he loses his case.

Follow UpFront on Twitter @AJUpFront and Facebook.

 

[Black_cats]

Video link is at the link which I could not copy!!!

 

[Bilal9]

Video link is at the link which I could not copy!!!

You can't. They use Brightcove as a media player and have disallowed direct linking and/or embedding.

But this brings to fore Shahidul Alam's motives.

Obviously he runs a media school and a photography school and I used to think he's a big idealistic liberal but who is propping him up?

Clearly people don't take such blatant personal risks without significant motivation. Who is fueling him? What do they have to gain?

 

[24 Hours]

But this brings to fore Shahidul Alam's motives.

Obviously he runs a media school and a photography school and I used to think he's a big idealistic liberal but who is propping him up?

Clearly people don't take such blatant personal risks without significant motivation. Who is fueling him? What do they have to gain?

His conscience? A less autocratic government perhaps? Do you want him to lie? It is obvious that this country is an autocracy now he is just starting the obvious.

 

[UKBengali]

His conscience? A less autocratic government perhaps? Do you want him to lie? It is obvious that this country is an autocracy now he is just starting the obvious.

BD needs autocratic government as otherwise it cannot develop the way it is doing now.

 

[24 Hours]

BD needs autocratic government as otherwise it cannot develop the way it is doing now.

That's a common argument but it has flaws. Say Hasina does who will take after her? Do you think her son will do a good job? Really one bad leader is enough to ruin everything.

 

[VikingRaider]

That's a common argument but it has flaws. Say Hasina does who will take after her? Do you think her son will do a good job? Really one bad leader is enough to ruin everything.

Hasina or her son are not the case here.

The real problem is Khaleda Zia and her son. Let them minus from Bangladeshi politics once and for all, then Democracy should do better.
So before removing of of Khaleda and her son Tareq from Bangladeshi politics, sheikh hasina is necessary for Bangladesh ; not even any other autocratic ruler, because only Hasina controlled AL can remove Khaleda Zia and her son.

As soon as they are removed from Bangladeshi politics, people like me will want Democracy again.

Really one bad leader is enough to ruin everything.

Indeed,and that's why we are removing Khaleda Zia and her son from Bangladeshi politics. After finishing the job, we will try for democracy again .

 

[Black_cats]

This guy is just waiting to go to jail for 14 years.

 

[UKBengali]

That's a common argument but it has flaws. Say Hasina does who will take after her? Do you think her son will do a good job? Really one bad leader is enough to ruin everything.

Dude, you studied what happened in E Asia?
No big deal if Hasina is not around say in 2024 as by then she would have firmly put the country to economic success. Any successor will just carry on with pretty much more of the same.
This is too complex to describe in detail in a forum post and so I suggest you read about E Asian countries like Korea and Taiwan.

 

[TopCat]

You can't. They use Brightcove as a media player and have disallowed direct linking and/or embedding.

But this brings to fore Shahidul Alam's motives.

Obviously he runs a media school and a photography school and I used to think he's a big idealistic liberal but who is propping him up?

Clearly people don't take such blatant personal risks without significant motivation. Who is fueling him? What do they have to gain?

He is belligerent. He once got arrested by BSF while he was filming the border.