Column
By the time the article is published , I hope you are not a DC anymore but you will be fine. After all, you are an amla, God's favourite children. You have many powerful networks and connections so they will very well keep you employed and later maybe even get you a scholarship in some Western country. Even better, you could go on a trip to inspect some goods to buy as you all regularly do. There is nothing to say what may happen. But one thing is certain: you will not be punished for what you have done. In Bangladesh, no amla is punished. Your status is well understood.
So the best we can hope for is some scolding, an attachment to another department as an OSD and then soon back to another fancy posting. Apart from being an amla, you are a female. It's such a precious achievement so relax, you will soon be safe if you're not already.
Any damage anyone?
Your damage is not to your career, or to the cadre services to which you belong but to your country, if you have any sense or even understanding of that. Quite frankly, I think you all are above such mundane concepts like a country. Unfortunately, that is all we have , an idea of a state.
Maybe some of us even fought for that but then we were not amlas. We didn't take permission and were rude enough to go to war and then even more rude not to seek certificates. At least some of us don't. You don't do that don't you ? What is a freedom fighter without an amla's certificate ? I agree. We exist because you do.
Arif is a journalist in Kurigram, a local journalist, who were sometimes powerful due to their linkages but mostly subject to a great deal of harassment. In a place outside Dhaka , the powerful are truly powerful and can do whatever they want. As events show, you and your henchmen were so powerful that you could raid the journalist's home in the dead of night with no less than 40 on your side. Why 40 , one may ask as did the High Court. Because it was a show being put on for all kinds to let them know how powerful you all are. Believe me, we know , we understand and we are scared.
You could also ask if the amlas are so powerful, how could Arif be released and that even after half a bottle if liquor and some ganja were found. ? We agree it's terrible because not only was he beaten up but blindfolded and made to sign certain documents confessing his guilt and so forth. How then could he get away, be released , even taken to a hospital where doctors have confirmed that he was tortured?
Right enemy , wrong newspaper
The answer I am afraid lies in the outlet he works for. You see Dhaka Tribune, Bangla Tribune, etc belong to a powerful group - the Gemcon group - and they are better connected than you are in a way. What clinched the deal for them was of course that one of the owners is a ruling party MP. Rest are all supporters as well. So they kind of have their fingers on the machinery buttons of power play. They can also move. All this apart from the collective and noisy, though not very powerful, pressure of a not very powerful group called media workers.
So don't worry about journalists. There are three kinds of us. Those who are bought or loyal to the party in power at any convenient time, those who are too scared or insecure to protest and those who don't matter. So why should you worry, when nobody does? Nobody becomes a journalist unless they have nowhere else to go. So relax on that count. But please make sure that the brand for which the journalist works has ruling party connections or not. Because there are those who can reach out, as happened in this case.
The amla class
But to say that your actions haven't caused any damage is not fully true because your actions have created a general loathing of the amla class. Remember your cousin, the DC who was caught having sex on camera and became a major source of digital entertainment? Well, he is safe now and I am sure it is cases like his which give you the strength to do whatever you do.
However, the PM has a bad habit of purging people whom she thinks can be a liability. Right now you are one of the more hated persons in Bangladesh. Unless the new DC is worse than you. Suppose you become a burden like the casino owners, students leaders, Papiya and Mohila League chieftains? You see, the problem with you all is that you draw all your power from the lady at the top. If she becomes unhappy, all your bets are off.
Meanwhile you are safe. I am sure the powerless faction of media to which I belong will try our best but I am sure you know whom to call, what to do and how to take care of the scene.
Fare thee well.
Leave a Comment
Recent Posts
Foreign Adviser to join 10th G ...
Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain left Dhaka on Sunday to atte ...
Bangladesh seeks top internati ...
The National Review Committee on the ministry of power, energy, and mi ...
Cold grips Kurigram as temperature falls amid mounti ..
In stormy seas, they steadied the ship
Why the Munia Murder case must be reinvestigated
Bangladesh and India are preparing for a high-level ..