Cry the Beloved Country

(Small update below)

Omi Rahmand Piyal on how journalists were treated. The conclusion is superb in its laying bare the absolute IDIOCY of media censorship, simply superb and I translate liberally:

"Nothing can be said. I don't know if this particular piece is "provocaive or not". When the journalists were taken to the station, they were asked, "Tell us, have we treated you badly (in custody)?"

"No! No! You've behaved impeccably with us!" we had answered.

I say the same in this piece. We are extremely well in Bangladesh. Everything is alright. There's nothing wrong. There are no riots. The people are spending their days in utter peace."

There is nothing more I need to say against media censorship. Nothing at all! Were journalists busy rioting? Did their reporting on the riots (as opposed to editorialising the rioters to be heroes, which I'm yet to see!) spread these riots? The answer to both questions is a big, fat "NO"! Yet journalists are being arrested, the media is being gagged.

Ei shob ki amader aantorjaatic bhaabmurti noshto korey na? Ei shob ki India, China, America'r haathey amader tuley dey na? Koi BBC to thiki report maartesey ektar por ekta, oder ke to keu censor kortesey na. Ora amader itihash bikrito kortey paartesey, amader shorkar ke ninda kortey paartesey.

Shudhu ki nijer desher maanushi shorkarer ninda korley sheita deshodrohi kaajkaarbar hoye jay?

Ajkey abar shuntey hoilo DPte je Eengreji te jara lekhey tara naki goto ponero bochorer durniti'r upobhogkari. Tara naki shadharon manusher koshto bujey na. Tai ei post ta shesh korlaam Banglay. Eengreji te lekhi maaney ei na je ami Bangladeshi na, Bangladeshi manushke chini na, taader koshto bujhi na! Amiyo raastar side e boisha cha khaisi, bonnar shomoy haathoo-panir modhdhey haathsi, police'r haathey naajehaal hoisi ebong onek, onek manushke deskhsi durniti'r taka poysha diye furti kortey. Ekta shima thaka uchit manush koto bhaabey amader bhaag bibhaag korar cheshta korey! Shala...

Oh yeah, just to retain some "balance" (because if you're not with "us", you're against "us"... thank YOU, Mr. President!), here are two videos of some of the mindless destruction by rioters, in the name of God knows what. Find me some journalists going and whispering in their ears.





Update: From the 3rd World View, Update 5:

"A Blogger requests frantically:
The students of Dhaka University, wherever you are, please go to a safe place...you are being looked for. Please don't ask me anything."

Cry, the beloved country, cry.