No media neutrality for upholding nat'l dignity

Speakers at a roundtable yesterday opined that there was no scope of the media to maintain neutrality in cases where national dignity had to be upheld like the Liberation War and war crimes trials.

Both the Liberation War and war crimes trials are related to national dignity, so media should uphold it accordingly, they said.

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The roundtable on war crimes trial and media responsibility was organised by Media Research and Development Centre at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.

Prime Minister's Media Adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury attended the function as the chief guest with Jagannath University Vice Chancellor Dr Mizanur Rahman in the chair.

Senior journalist Abed Khan, Maj Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid, Dr MA Hassan, Mozaffar Hossain Paltu, Pijush Banerjee, SM Rezaul Karim, Barrister Tuhin Afroj, Syed Ishtiaq Reza, Dr Milton Biswas, poet Nasir Ahmed and DUJ General Secretary Quddus Afrad took part in the discussion moderated by television anchor Anjon Roy.

"After the political changeover in 1975, the subsequent governments misused the media against the Liberation War by establishing anti-liberation elements as well as through media control," said Iqbal.