‘Prothom Alo has to apologise at Shahbagh’

Several female journalists and other professionals have demanded that Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman apologise in public at Shahbagh’s 'Ganajagaran Mancha' for a story that 'dishonourably represented' the civil uprising and its female protesters.

The demand was made from a human-chain protest and a rally organised under the banner of ‘Aamra K’jana’ in front of the Bengali daily’s office at the city’s Karwan Bazar on Thursday.

Those attended the rally include human rights activist Khushi Kabir, journalists Munni Saha, Supriti Dhar, Alpha Arju, General Secretary of Bangladesh Female Journalists’ Centre Parveen Sultana Jhuma, one of the organisers of the Shahbagh movement Sangeeta Imam, Chief Executive Officer of Transcom Foods Limited Akku Chowdhury, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal leader Bina Shikder, women’s rights activist Shipra Bose.

Pakistani journalist Tarek Fatah addressed the rally expressing solidarity with the Shahbagh movement that has been demanding death to all the convicted war criminals.

Prothom Alo, the second best-selling broadsheet in Bangladesh, published a short story by Hasnat Abdul Hye carried in its Bangla New Year special supplement on Apr 14.

The short story, titled “TV Camerar Samne Meyeti” (The girl in front of the TV camera), centres around a politically active girl ‘Seema’ leading the slogan shouting brigade who is sexually exploited by a senior politician, the man who recruits her.

The story suggests her popularity stems from her sexual free-mixing with males.

The story triggered widespread public outrage, which many felt was offensive and demeaning to women political activists, Shahbagh and all progressive movements at large.

After a flurry of protests by readers, who vented mostly in social media as well as at Shahbagh, the city square hosting a campaign against religious fanatics since Feb 5, the Prothom Alo retracted the story from its online version and e-paper.

Hauled up for gender insensitivity, the daily also apologised to readers for hurting their sentiments with the short story.

In a statement, its Editor Matiur Rahman said the contents of the story were against the guiding principles of the newspaper.

Hasnat Abdul Hye, the writer of the story, too, regretted writing the piece and said it would not be included in any of his works.