This has taken us towards greater darkness: Mostofa Sarwar Farooki
Noted film director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki expressed his concern abou the case being filed against Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman under the Digital Security Act and picking up the newspaper’s staff correspondent Samsuzzaman from his residence at the dead of night in a case under the same act.
He said this in a Facebook post on Thursday. He thinks there has to be a space in the society to ask questions, there has to be a space to dissent. He further said he is not in favour of any law that is harmful for general people.
Mostofa Sarwar Farooki also said, “I haven’t understood until now what’s wrong with the Prothom Alo’s report.”
The internationally acclaimed filmmaker, in his Facebook post, said, “The person/s who have led the incident against Prothom Alo’s journalist and editor up to filing a case should realise, this has taken us further towards darkness. I don’t intend to discuss the report now as many things have already been said about it. I just want to say, anyone could be aggrieved with a news report. There are many ways to deal with that too.
“The path chosen is dangerous one for the country. And even if I talk from the government’s point of view, through this reaction the slogan “I want independence of rice-daal-meat” has been reinforced manifold.
“Hopefully good sense will prevail and this excessive reaction will be reined in. And I say once again, repeal the Digital Security Act! I always say this, brothers and sisters, while composing a law, think of what your condition will be if that law is used against you.
“Actually the best way to compose a law is to keep in mind that this may be used against you when you will not be in power. Not all the days of a person pass equally well. No government has come in the world so far that stays eternally.
“In a healthy society the press has to have freedom to make mistakes. Though I haven’t understood so far, what is wrong with the report of Prothom Alo except a mismatch of the photo. People everywhere are saying the same, that they have been suffering severely because of price hike of essentials. Even the ministers themselves are saying, price of essentials has increased due to the Ukraine war. Then why this quote has invited such stern reaction, I don’t understand. But even if the press makes a mistake, its reaction cannot be this repressive. You will get many classic writings on internet that would say why this cannot be. However, I’ll end with a line. There has to be a space in the society to ask questions. There has to be a space to dissent.”