The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Eminent jurist and former Foreign Minister Dr Kamal Hossain yesterday said the media can play a critical role in fostering mutual understanding, trust and cooperation among South Asian nations by making accurate portrayals and representation of neighbours.

"Unfortunately, the media have not always fulfilled their role in promoting regional cooperation by giving undue coverage to negative aspects of relations between South Asian countries," he said inaugurating the first South Asian Media Forum (SAMF)-2008 with a theme "Harnessing the Media to Enhance South Asian Cooperation" at PIB.

Dr Kamal, who is also the Chairperson of the Bangladesh Chapter of South Asian Foundation, said the doubts and suspicions, which generate negative attitude and barriers to regional cooperation, need to be overcome.

"What needed are hard-headed analyses of the costs and benefits of schemes for regional cooperation…where win-win situation can be achieved," he told the inaugural session of the Forum held marking the World Press Freedom Day on Saturday.

Dr Kamal said political will to take the bold initiatives must be built upon public opinion and a strong growing consensus within the region.

"Minds and hearts across the region engaged creatively and imaginatively to realize the vision for South Asia which through regional cooperation can build a better future for all."

Jointly organized by Singapore-based AMIC, UNESCO and United News of Bangladesh (UNB), the opening session of the daylong seminar was also addressed by AMIC secretary general Indrajit Banerjee, UNB chairman Amanullah Khan, UNESCO Representative Malama Meleisea and PIB DG Nazrul Islam Khan. Brian Shoesmith, Director, Media Communications, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), conducted the session.

Ambassador Farooq Sobhan, president of Bangladesh Enterprise Institute, was the keynote speaker at the opening session chaired by Maj Gen Maniruzzaman, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies.

Twenty foreign journalists, experts and academics from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore, Malaysia and UK joined the seminar.

The seminar was split into plenary sessions and roundtable discussions on 'Media and Development in South Asia', 'Good Neighbours, Bad Neighbours: Media representation and realities' and 'Harnessing the Media to Enhance South Asian Cooperation'.

Dr Kamal said the media can play a critical role by greater coverage of regional issues and by more balanced and informative coverage of South Asian nations.

On opportunities for the media in South Asia, he said much can be accomplished through exchange of radio and television programs between South Asian nations, training of journalists, and visits by journalists to other South Asian countries to gain better understanding of the political, legal, economic and cultural facets of these nations.

Dr Kamal said a free press can contribute significantly to democracy and development by holding governments and corporations accountable to citizens by enhancing good governance and by informing citizens of their rights and responsibilities.

"Press freedom is thus very important for South Asian nations and although we have made significant stride in developing press freedom, much work needs to be done to ensure that the press is given the freedom to operate without fear or favour and perform its duty with responsibility," he said.

UNB chairman Amnullah Khan said despite common historical root, shared vision and more or less identical cultural heritage, the countries in the region remain deeply divided and suspicious of each other's motives and intentions. The countries are locked in a struggle to attain economic prosperity for their massive populations.

UNESCO Representative Malama Meleisea said issues like environment, climate change, terrorism and food crisis cannot be solved by national governments alone as it needs minds and resources to overcome the problems in the region. And the media can be a part of this process.

He said the media in South Asia has come a long way and much needs to be done.

Appreciating the objectives of SAMF, Meleisa said UNESCO would extend help in implementing the recommendations to be made at the seminar.

PIB DG Nazrul Islam Khan said Bangladeshi people believe that unrestrained freedom of the press is a pre-condition for institutionalization of democracy.

He said the Bangladesh government has formulated a draft 'Right to Information' ordinance to ensure access to information and empowerment of the common people, which is expected to be promulgated soon.

UNB Chief Editor Enayetullah Khan presented UNB crests among the guests at the inaugural session.

Speakers at the programme laid emphasis on ensuring free movement of journalists across the South Asian countries for their smooth access to regionally important information and to ensure freedom of the press.

They said unless the South Asian countries can come out of the concept of nationalism, expectation for the regional well-balanced development would remain a far cry.

In his keynote address, Ambassador Farooq Sobhan suggested providing the journalists with 'SAARC Visa' so the media can successfully bond the South Asian countries with the spirit of regional integration and harmony.

He urged the South Asian media to play the role of protagonist in enhancing regional cooperation rather than remaining skeptic to each other on bilateral and regional issues.

Referring to some recent developments in diplomatic relations like India-China and China-ASEAN, the former ambassador said SAARC is being considered as the integral part of such important processes. "And the South Asian media can foster the implications of SAARC countries with the Asian and global relations."

He identified energy security, disastrous impact of global warming, free trade and combating terrorism as the key sectors where the journalists and governments of the South Asian countries can work shoulder to shoulder.

Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Zaglul A Chowdhury and former ambassador Ashfaqur Rahman, among others, took part in the discussion on the keynote address.

The inaugural session and keynote address were followed by two plenary sessions and a roundtable respectively on 'Media and Development in South Asia: the Journey so far', 'Good Neighbours, Bad Neighbours: Media Representation and Realities', and 'Harnessing the Media to Enhance South Asian Cooperation.'

Speakers at the 1st plenary session chaired by Dr Andrew Taussig suggested for visa-free movement of journalists in the South Asian region.

Prof. Akhtar Sultana of Dhaka University's Mass Communication and Journalism Department, Syed Fasieh Iqbal of Baluchistan Times, Pakistan, Nurul Kabir, Editor, The New Age, Dhaka, Rajpal Abeynayake, Lakbima News, Srilanka, and Dr Binod C. Agarwal of Taleem Research Foundation, India, addressed the session.

Prof. Akhtar Sultana suggested 30 minutes' broadcast of South Asian news in the member states every week, saying that it would be helpful in increasing coverage of smaller countries like Bhutan and Maldives.

Editor Nurul Kabir placed a proposal of exchanging contents of newspapers and electronic media of each of the SAARC members. Such exchange, he said, would reduce monopoly of the Western wire services and thus increase news coverage of Bhutan and other small countries.

Syed Fasieh Iqbal said the SAARC members can arrange cross-border training and higher education for the region's journalists for their professional maturity and skill development.

Dr Binod C Agarwarl underscored the need for holistic documentation of the South Asian cultural heritages in front of the world by the media for enhancing the process of inter-state connectivity.

Javed Nazir and Shyam Tekwani of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Ghama Raj Luitel, Sagramata Radio, Nepal addressed the second plenary session.

The roundtable, chaired by AMIC secretary general Dr. Indrajit Banerjee, was addressed by Mahfuz Anam, Editor, The Daily Star, Bangladesh, Ravi Veloor, Singapore Press Holdings, India, and Shaheen Salahuddin of Indus News TV, Pakistan.

Participating in the discussion, Mahfuz Anam said media in South Asia should change their mindset and act as "watch towers, not watchdog" taking a broad perspective of the region to address such impending calamities like climate change.

The closing session of the daylong conference was also addressed by UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan.