Of eminent citizens and so-called patriots

The court issued arrest warrants against the five on August 9 following a defamation case filed by the executive chairman of Board of Investment (BoI). The complainant alleged that the accused had organized a press conference at CPD offices on August 8 where they made derogatory statements against him which were published in the next day's newspapers.

The court order came amid a war of words between the BoI and CPD in the past few days over the actual position of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country during the last few years. CPD held a press conference after the BoI chief had made some foul remarks about it while addressing a meeting of the Economic Reporters Forum at the National Press Club on August 6.

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The BoI chief branded the CPD as "a conspirator and a shameless liar." He also accused the think-tank of maligning Bangladesh's image outside by disseminating distorted information. He termed CDP executive director Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya as "kulangar" (black sheep) on another occasion.

A lot of criticism one may have about an organization and that has to be done in a polite manner. But the manner in which the BoI chief expressed his personal invective against the CDP was an exposure of his lowest ebb. He has not only humiliated himself but also the institution he represents.

The BoI chief has shown another degree of the filthiness of his mind through lodging a criminal defamation case against five most eminent citizens with considerable national and international repute. The repeatedly replayed TV footage has confirmed to the nation that the five who are now facing warrant of arrest, did not make any defamatory comments against the BoI chief, rather it was the BoI chief who made quite a few defamatory remarks against CPD and its executive director.

It is pertinent to call into question the role of the metropolitan magistrate who issued the warrant of arrest so expeditiously instead of issuing summons and without being satisfied whether the defendants are really liable for defamation or not. One wonders what prompted the magistrate to apprehend that these eminent citizens would not respect the court's summons to explain themselves. It reminds us once again how urgent is the separation of judiciary from the executive branch of the government.

The arrogant attitude shown by the BoI chief did not have the minimum decency. He was behaving as if he owns the country as he said: "By defaming me, they have defamed the country." The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam very rightly compared such attitude with the French Emperor Louis XIV. The BoI chief also said that the CPD executive director has lost the right to Bangladeshi citizenship. Surely he is not the man to decide who can or cannot be a citizen of Bangladesh.

It is a particular malady for the nation that some people in power always foster an attitude that patriotism is only of their monopoly. This may sound odd, but reveals the stark truth about our so-called patriots who hardly miss any opportunity to malign the journalists, economists and researchers for smearing the image of the country abroad and questioning their patriotism. We will only let the BoI chief know that no one, not even an advisor to the government, has a monopoly on patriotism.

The LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan threatened to take legal actions against TIB for labeling his ministry as the most corrupt. Rejecting the report at a press conference, he said, the TIB report was a bundle of wrong notions which was prepared with an ulterior motive to portray the country as a dysfunctional and failed state.

Prof. Muzaffar Ahmed, the chairman of the TIB trustee board, took a strong stance in the event of the adverse reaction of the LGRD minister and said TIB is ready to face the LGRD ministry legally if and when it files suit against TIB for publication of its corruption database. But finally the LGRD minister beat a retreat.

TIB, as one of 85 accredited national chapters of the Transparency International across the world, works at national level to raise awareness about the damaging effects of corruption, advocates policy reform and to increase levels of accountability and transparency. It began its activities as a trust in 1996 and since then has been working as a catalyst of social movement against corruption and for promoting good governance in Bangladesh.

On the other hand, CPD is engaged in economic research and monitoring of state expenditure as watchdog. These two institutions TIB and CPD have kept our hopes alive by bringing to light many unfair social, political and economic situations in the country.

According to the LDC Report 2006 of UNCTAD, Bangladesh could not do well in five sectors including FDI inflow per capita. Bangladesh stood 9th among the 50 LDCs regarding FDI inflow, which is lower than average rate. Angola, a poor African country received $2 billion FDI during the year 2004 while Bangladesh received only $460 million. It is a truth that the BoI chief can not really deny. His claim that country's economy is boosting due to FDI is not borne out by facts.

It is really unfortunate that most eminent citizens of the country including economists and newspaper editors are frequently facing defamation suits filed by the high-ups of the ruling alliance, no matter whether they are really liable for defamation or not. It clearly testifies to the vulnerability of the citizens' fundamental right to express one's own opinion, though our constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and speech to every citizen.

In view of the present situation, it is urgently felt that proper law should be enacted for protection of the eminent citizens from such harassment. The members of the civil society and professional groups must raise their voices louder in support of enacting such laws. Meanwhile the government should take steps to make Mahmudur Rahman tender an unconditional apology to the five and as well as to the nation for his foolhardiness.

ANM Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star.