(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 5 July 2002 Media Watch press release: Newspaper declaration (licence) cancelled The deputy commissioner of Natore (one of the districts of northern Bangladesh) has cancelled the licence of “Dainik Uttarbanga Barta”, the only daily newspaper in the district. In an official order issued on 4 July 2002, District […]
(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 5 July 2002 Media Watch press release:
Newspaper declaration (licence) cancelled
The deputy commissioner of Natore (one of the districts of northern Bangladesh) has cancelled the licence of “Dainik Uttarbanga Barta”, the only daily newspaper in the district.
In an official order issued on 4 July 2002, District Magistrate Sadar Uddin Ahmed said the daily’s licence was cancelled because the names of the country’s president and prime minister had been incorrectly printed in the newspaper. The order said the deputy commissioner had cancelled the newspaper’s licence under section 20(D) of the Printing and Publications (Declaration and Registration) Ordinance (PPO) of 1973.
A Media Watch correspondent reported that in its 26 March issue, the daily “Uttarbanga Barta” had listed the name of the country’s president as Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed, instead of Prof. AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, and that of the prime minister as Sheikh Hasina, instead of Khaleda Zia.
As the licencing authority of the district, the Deputy Commissioner’s Office served two notices (on 27 March and 24 June) to the newspaper editor, explaining that the daily’s licence was to be cancelled due to the incorrect printing of the names of the head of the state and government, and also due to the fact that the newspaper was not regularly published and distributed to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. The editor replied to the notices, but the deputy commissioner’s order said the answers were not satisfactory.
The editor and publisher of the newspaper, Hanif Ali Sheikh, said, “The error was unintentional. We apologized twice the very next day, after admitting our fault, which occurred due to a computer related error. We also dismissed the persons responsible for the error. Despite all that, the decision for cancellation was taken, which shows that there is an ulterior motive behind it.”
