I Congratulate Mr. Zafar Sobhan…
…for writing possibly the most relevant editorial for Bangladesh at the moment. Such is its great relevance that not even a single half-hearted sentence is offered as explanation as to how the American election will affect Bangladesh!
Not satisfied with just apeing the New York Times’ logo font, it seems that the Daily Star is in an uphill battle to become the NYT away from NYC. In Mr. Sobhan, they already have a bit of a Kristof, ready to swoop in on some “under-developed” area and explain to us – the real people – what goes on in there.
None of this would have mattered of course had there not been saturation coverage of a foreign election on the editorial page of a Bangladeshi newspaper. None of this would have mattered if that editorial on the state of press freedom that I asked for back in May had been published.
Apparently the state of press freedom is slightly less relevant than the American elections at the moment. Perhaps they know more about 1/11 than we do….
Please note, this is wholly a matter of taste. Unlike the Hannan op-ed issue, there is no right or wrong in this matter. But I believe it shows where priorities lie inside the Daily Star. Our priorities as citizens lie elsewhere: to remain informed about world affairs of course, but also to understand how it will ultimately affect us as Bangladeshi citizens.
I believe it really has become the time to unsubscribe to the Daily Star.
I agree that Mr. Sobhan should have extrapolated his observations and drawn some linkages with Bangladesh. However, it is very true that the outcome of the US election is not something distant and irrelevant – it affects Bangladesh as well as the rest of the world. I wouldn’t be too harsh and say that it is completely pointless.
State of press freedom has been made a point in many newspapers, and although DS has been forced to compromise with the incumbent govt. to an extent larger than some others, that is probably because it has a much larger de facto following. Moreover, Motiur Rahman has nevertheless talked about Press Freedom vehemently in one of his articles.
I myself would subscribe to New Age rather than Daily Star, but that will be a relative decision, not an absolute one.
Hi krishnochura,
I apologise if anything in this piece came across as “American elections won’t affect us” kind of rhetoric. Of course it will, much more so than elections in most other countries of the world. My point was simply that Mr. Sobhan’s op-ed left a lot to be desired in terms of making that connection. He has the brains and the platform to tell people the many different ways in which changes in Washington will affect our lives in Munshiganj for instance. He did not take that opportunity, making him sound a bit like Bhupati from “Charulata”. Thus my complaint.
To give credit where credit’s due: he has written once again on the American elections: http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=61099
This time he has devoted 3 paragraphs on how those elections will affect our lives here. A definite improvement, and I expect a more in-depth treatment will be forthcoming. Not everyone has time or ability to draw the complex contours of power that emanate from D.C. to Dhaka.
I must humbly disagree with your assertion that DS has been “forced to compromise”. From my vantage point here, I made the same excuse numerous times until it became crystal clear that DS was not “forced” to do anything. They have chosen this path of their own volition and has made it abundantly clear that they were always anti-BNP more than they were pro-press freedom. Tragic really. But hey, this is Bangladesh. Did you expect anything else?
Would appreciate the Motiur Rahman link.
sabbatical ta beshi long hoye jacche na??
Good to see you are back and on wordpress, Dhakashohor.
Do check out my new blog.
http://secretdhaka.wordpress.com/
I got it up a few days ago. Still warming up, or something like that
And btw, I love the fonts–they are quite readable. But they do say black as a background is make or break.