How Bangladesh's children are giving their country a good name
"In Bangladesh, blogging can get you killed."
"Prominent Bangladeshi journalist arrested for act of sedition."
"Hindu monastery worker is latest victim of Bangladesh religious killings."
"Bangladesh arrests more than 11,000 after wave of killings."
With killings, violence, arrests becoming buzzwords for Bangladesh, international news reports have been painting a grim picture; first of the government’s inaction towards the murders of "liberal" and "secular thinkers", and then more recently of its weeklong rampage, arresting more than 11,000 suspects after the wave of killings.
Yes, we ought to be outraged, especially by cases like that of Avijit Roy – the Bangladeshi-American online activist who was hacked to death by machete-wielding fundamentalists for his secular views. But will it help to declare the nation the next Pakistan?
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| Avijit Roy was hacked to death by machete-wielding fundamentalists. |
At a time when the media the world over is busy denouncing the country, a Bangladeshi news website is attempting to portray life in the country through a different prism.
BDnews24.com, often described as being Bangladesh’s Huffington Post, has partnered with UNICEF to create a unique video news service called Prism, providing a platform to those whose voices would scarcely receive local media attention, let alone reach international newshounds or the authorities.
Their team of reporters consists of 105 children recruited as volunteers from across seven districts, including two border districts close to the northeast of India. The enthusiastic and enterprising group of children, who come from varying socio-economic backgrounds, shed light on what affects their everyday life focusing on social, environmental, cultural issues in short one-minute videos.
The young journalists receive support and training from the BDnews24.com team, but the ideas are all theirs. "They talk about education, agriculture, child labour, of children their own age who are being deprived of their basic rights. Politics is left out," says Mithun Biswas, former co-ordinator for the project. "As all the participants are under 18, we do not allow them to do anything that has potential health or mental hazards," he adds.
Mohammed Jahid Hasan Sumon, 17, talks about how industrial waste has led to the ruin of the Turag river in Gazipur district. His report discusses the economic and environmental impact this could have on the fishing community, who are losing their means of livelihood. In another video, 17-year-old Arju Dristy brings the spotlight on Shaheed Minar in her city Narayanganj. For lack of entertainment, this is where the people of Narayanganj hang out.
Prism has been envisioned as a "national platform created for vulnerable and marginalised children to strengthen their voices and air their concerns". The idea is to broadcast their videos across the television channels in Bangladesh in the hope that their voice reaches policy makers.
"Let’s face it, journalists are not very respected people in our country. These children are proving that they are better than us," says Toufique Imrose Khalidi, editor in chief of BDnews24.com.