Minister Matia slams Prothom Alo again, says it is not doing ethical journalism

Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury has questioned in Parliament journalistic ethics of Bangla-language daily ‘Prothom Alo’.

On Sunday, she pointed out the political affiliations of the daily’s Jhenaidah correspondent, who reported on a government project to subsidise the purchase of power tillers by farmers.

“Azad Rahman was a secretary to Jhenaidah's Kaliganj Upazila Chhatra Dal between 1991 and 1996. He was the general secretary of the Juba Dal between 1998 and 2000.

“He was also involved with former minister Tariqul Islam’s local daily Lokshamaj,” Chowdhury said.

She kept on blasting the daily edited by her former political colleague Matiur Rahman.

“No matter how many fabricated news you print, it is unlikely I will get provoked much. They publish news as they want and mislead the people.”

“I will say this much that ministers and MPs can raise such things in Parliament, that too when there is a session on-going.

“(But) what will the general people do? What is their recourse? This cannot be ethical journalism.”

“Since I am a minister, I could present the truth in Parliament through a statement. But what will the general people do if there are false reports against them?

“Even when contested, they only publish three- four-line rejoinders, that too not always.”

The daily on May 27 published a report alleging that ruling party men were pocketing most of the 25 percent subsidy given on power tillers.

The Prothom Alo claimed the eight of the 15 who got the subsidy in Jhenaidah’s Kotchandpur were leaders and activists of Awami League’s youth front, the Juba League.

  The others were activists of the ruling party’s other associate organisations.

It further claimed only six of them had bought power tillers, while the others claimed the subsidy money showing fake bills and vouchers.

Chowdhury first reacted to the report in Parliament on June 16, taking a dig at the paper, saying ‘many of us’ read Prothom Alo with interest and there was no denying that it had a big readership.

Rahman was a mid-level leader of Bangladesh Chhatra Union in the 1960s when Chowdhury used to lead it.

Later, Rahman became a treasurer of Shamsuddoha-led committee and a secretariat member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh.  He also edited its mouthpiece ‘Ekota’.

Admired even by her staunchest critics for unquestionable honesty, the veteran politician said, “We never imagined Prothom Alo could do this sort of journalism. It is because of this reason that I’m presenting the report before the nation."

She said she had sent this statement of her to the newspaper knowing ‘full well that they will publish just three or at best four lines tomorrow”.

The newspaper ran a report again on her statement in Parliament and again drew her criticism.

Lastly, on July 2, the newspaper ran a follow-up saying their report was not ‘untrue’ as claimed by the minister.

It claimed five of the farmers given the subsidy were yet to buy the farming equipment and took the subsidy showing used tillers taken from others.

The report contradicted the findings of the agriculture ministry probe formed after the first report which said all brought tillers.

It also reiterated that the eight were affiliated with the ruling party.

On Sunday, Chowdhury trashed the Prothom Alo findings, saying her ministry again investigated the claims on July 3 and found the newspaper report to be false.

She asserted the subsidy was not given to farmers directly.

According to her, it is handed to the approved suppliers after the tillers are officially handed over to farmers at the Upazila headquarters after payment of 75 percent of the price.

That, too, is done only after the related documents are accepted by the project headquarters.

“No person is given money. Mainly, the Prothom Alo authorities are not getting that, or are trying not to understand it even after seeing it all… Maybe there are other intentions behind it."