Tarana Halim, State Minister for Post and Telecom Division, had literally no time to scale back from her stated or alleged remarks that her ministry was making a list of pornography viewers on social media networks and their names would be published or exposed. The vibrant and eloquent minister - a former TV and drama artist---has a penchant for saying straight what she feels is to be shared with the people. But politics and drama are two different areas infested by people with different instincts. There is no doubt that pornography nowadays has become an intricate part of social networking -- Facebook and others - and the number of its users and viewers have gone up tremendously among both the young and the old, the active and the fragile and above all, men and women. Porn videos and chats are the most popular pastime for many. Some people argue the porn sites drain out people's energy while others say they recharge energy. Whoever may be right, the craze for anything like porn is becoming the leading fad for people not only in urban areas but also in the remotest corners of the country where the social media sites can be reached. And, thanks to digitalisation of Bangladesh, they can be reached easily now.
But we believe Tarana Halim's malady over the matter was unintended to trigger a storm of protest by those who made watching and enjoying pornography an integral part of their life. Tarana's reported decision hurt them so much that they threatened to use all earthly available means of communication to watch non-stop X-rated videos and make it a 'social revolution' in Bangladesh where anything goes viral and further affects people's dwindling morality.
Tarana Halim should have thought 'thrice' before opening up her mind. She probably was not aware that, maybe, many in her ministry and division also watch porn on social media sites! Probably, they believe it's not that bad when it becomes a national fad!
Tarana knowingly or unknowingly threw a stone into the bee hive and the obvious thing happened is she must face the attack. She indeed faced it; otherwise she wouldn't slip back so quickly from what she allegedly had said earlier. It appeared she had no time at all to defend herself. On Tuesday she denied having said anything like that.
It was the Telecom junior minister's courage and prompt decision that helped to pour cold water on the burning issue. Bangladesh has changed a lot in recent years, she probably had forgotten.
Tarana has been praised by many for running the tricky and sensitive ministry successfully for years. In doing that she apparently created more enemies from within than friends. So, her decisions are not always welcome or endorsed by people above and below her rank. Also, she does something whimsically like several social media outlets had been closed down earlier this year or later the last year. They were reopened after a while because of heavy pressure coming on her from all sides. We hope she will desist from doing anything such in the future or will do it at the risk of her ministry.
Those who want the offensive sites to stay alive also have a point - they do not want to skirt anything in today's wide open world with many windows. Facing those just at the pretext of morality is perhaps a wrong decision.
How honest, sincere or effective Tarana in her position is a matter for her principles to know but a visible opinions support many of her decisions but a few are not. People were first confused about biometric registration of the cell phone SIM because of its complexity and doubts over the purpose and effectiveness of the new method. Yet the biometric SIM registration was completed well except for a few fumble, and it's now working fine. However, one of several stated purposes of this - to prevent militancy and illegal trade such as cross-border Yaba business - has not been successful. Though the concerned authorities claimed that smart SIMs could indeed help to track down some criminals and culprits, it was like just a drop of water in the ocean.
Given the good and bad of Tarana's decisions, she is gulping the fire that she's apparently unable to breathe out back. Many people in the BTRC and other concerned departments or individually powerful do not corroborate her steps trying to regulate telecommunication and infuse disciplines such as stopping porno sites and listing their users. She also should take firm steps against VOIPs and take their pioneers to task. These steps if really taken would simply let the hell come down on her and she alone cannot handle the weight. So, considering widespread corruption in the country, the best way for her or anyone like her holding a key position in the government or administration would be to set the sail in favour of the wind.
However, what they will do is a choice of their own.
Regarding the current storm over her alleged comments, Tarana said it was triggered by'wrong' information. She denied having said anything as such and also asserted that the question of listing or exposing porn users does not arise at all. But what she must do now?
She should launch an investigation through her ministry to find out who circulated this incorrect and offending news which went viral on FB and other websites like wild fire. This probe should be conducted by a credible and reliable agency and the findings must be published for public knowledge. Unless she can do so it is needless to say that in future she will fall in similar trap by 'mishap' or by her own volition.
Very recently she faced some hard time about the CityCell mobile operators over non-payment of dues to the government6 and its employees. She handled the matter quietly and somewhat efficiently but the remnants from the controversy may still not have gone. She should be careful about not landing in more such awful situation and keep safe from controversies. Don't do anything that you can't defend or sustain.r
Anis Ahmed is Executive Editor, The Daily Observer
