NTV in trouble with Ofcom over two incidents

I made a complaint to Ofcom about a political advertisement on Bengali TV channel NTV. It has been found in breach for airing the advertisement on 19th January 2013, which is prohibited under Ofcom rules.

The advertisement lasted 30 seconds. The voiceover was in Bengali. The images consisted only of a single slate carrying Bengali text and three small pictures – one of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party logo and two photographs of figures associated with the party.

The broadcaster told Ofcom that no money or other consideration had been offered in return for its broadcast.

During an investigation, probably the above, Ofcom also found NTV in breach of programme sponsorship credits, where broadcasters are prohibited to contain advertising messages or encourage the purchase of products or services of the sponsor or a third party.

Ofcom found the broadcaster in breach of of Rules 5.5, 9.1 and 9.2.

Full Ofcom report in Broadcast Bulletin Issue number 227 08/04/13

Images

The disgraceful behaviours of Bengali TV channels

There has been countless breaches of broadcasting rules by Bengali TV channels in the UK. Some of them faced large fines. From abuse of charity fundraiser and selling holy tours to political advertisements, these channels flout the rules like it doesn't apply to them.

Recently 5 Bengali TV channels were found in breach of “political advertising”. Channel S has previously been found in serious breach of the prohibition on political advertising. A significant fine was imposed on that occasion. Channel S was owned by Channel S Global Limited. This company surrendered its licence and ceased broadcasting. It is now run by CHS TV LTD with Mahee Ferdhaus named as a director. What does that tell you? The men behind this channel did this to avoid the potentially large fines by Ofcom. Not once was it mentioned on Channel S that it's owners are in trouble. The director of the various Limited companies that owned and still own Channel S is the founder MAHEE MOHAMMED FERDHAUS and his puppet partner HARISH CHANDRA JUGATRAY JOSHI. Mahee is a disgraced self proclaimed Bengali leader, who was convicted of insurance fraud and jailed. This is how he made the money and started Channel S. Click on the above names to see a string of limited companies they use to bypass the rules and conduct their crooked businesses. 

Few weeks ago Channel i was found in trouble over “political” advertisements after I filed complaints with broadcasting regulator, Ofcom. Bangladesh is going through turbulent time as it tries to bring war criminals from 1971 to justice. We do not need the village politics run by new Bangladeshi immigrants in our midst. These idiots have been placing adverts on Bengali TV channels in contravention of broadcasting rules. These rules prevent political instability. Some of the groups include the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the London Mohanagar Chhatra League (the London branch of the student wing of the Awami League), the Jubo League (the youth wing of the Awami League), Faruk Ahmed (of the Awami League), M A Malek (of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party), the Bangladesh Awami League and the Awami League, UK.

Thank God that there are rules and laws in the UK that protects us. InshaAllah, the small number of good people who uphold the law can make a difference and stop these thugs spreading their vile politics here in the UK.

Few years ago, Mahee Ferdhaus was almost beaten to death by thugs like him. It looks like he hasn't learned his lesson. Let it be know that those who disgrace the Bengali community will be disgraced by Allah in this world and in the hereafter.

Anyone who associates with such people and those who run these amateur TV channels are as bad and a disgrace to the Bengali community too. Every breach should be referred to Ofcom.

Bangladesh: Wave of violent attacks against Hindu minority

Amnesty International 

A wave of violent attacks against Bangladesh’s minority Hindu community shows the urgent need for authorities to provide them with better protection, Amnesty International said.

Over the past week, individuals taking part in strikes called for by Islamic parties have vandalised more than 40 Hindu temples across Bangladesh.

Scores of shops and houses belonging to the Hindu community have also been burned down, leaving hundreds of people homeless.

The attacks come in the context of large scale violent protests that have been raging across Bangladesh for weeks over the country’s ongoing war crimes tribunal, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).

“The Hindu community in Bangladesh is at extreme risk, in particular at such a tense time in the country. It is shocking that they appear to be targeted simply for their religion. The authorities must ensure that they receive the protection they need,” said Abbas Faiz, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh Researcher.

NTV in trouble over sponsorship rules breach

BizAsia

Bengali entertainment channel NTV has breached sponsorship rules and exceeding the advertisement times.

The channel broadcasts a delayed feed of content originally broadcast on NTV in Bangladesh.

‘Shastho Protidin’ was a studio-based programme in which the presenter Dr Tahmina Akter Muniya and a guest discussed various health issues.

The opening and closing programme credits contained a logo for Pran Milk, a brand of milk made by a Bangladeshi company. There was no on-screen text or voiceover to indicate to viewers that the programme was sponsored by the company.


On four occasions during the programme, when the presenter’s name appeared in an on-screen caption, Pran Milk’s logo appeared next to her name for a few seconds. On one other occasion the same logo appeared next to the on-screen caption of the guest’s name.

When the programme returned after an advertising break, the Pran Milk logo appeared with the on-screen text, “You’re watching Pran Milk ‘Shastho Protidin’”

Channel i in trouble over “political” advertisements

It was just under a year when I made complaints to Ofcom about political advertisement on Channel i. After a long investigation Ofcom has found this channel in breech of several rules and put them on notice that further breech will result in fines. Lets hope Channel i has learned a lesson.

Some of the political parties and groups featured were:

• the Bangladesh Nationalist Party1;
• the London Mohanagar Chhatra League (the London branch of the student wing of the Awami League2);
• the Jubo League (the youth wing of the Awami League);
• Faruk Ahmed (of the Awami League);
• M A Malek (of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party);
• the Bangladesh Awami League; and
• the Awami League, UK.

Some of the wordings used in the adverts were:

1. “A discussion meeting on the event of the Historic Mujibnagar3 Day and demanding the judicial trial of the war criminals4 has been arranged by a joint enterprise of the Cardiff City Jubo League and Bangabandhu Parishod.” (Item featuring the Cardiff City Jubo League)

2. “An effective council of Bangladesh Nationalist Party in Scotland has been established to materialize the ideals of martyr Zia5, strengthen the hands of uncompromising leader Begum Khaleda Zia6 and to protest all the conspiracy and maligns against Tarek Zia7.” (Item featuring the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Scotland Branch)

3. “Do not be concerned, there is no place for Razakars8 in the independent land of Bangladesh. On behalf of the all the Bangladeshi expatriates who support the independence of Bangladesh, demanding the judicial trial of the war criminals and on behalf of Leicester Awami League.” (Item featuring the Bangladesh Awami League)

4. “A Very Big Demonstration Assembly. Protesting the conceal of peoples leader M Eliyas Ali9, the unbending student leader of anti-dictatorship movement of 1990, the pride of Sylhet, also the organizational secretary of the central committee of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, president of Sylhet District BNP and a demonstrator of the Tipaimukh Dam.” (Item by Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Brescia Branch, Italy)

Five Bengali TV channels in breach of “political advertising”

From BizAsia

Five television channels, Channel S, ATN Bangla, Bangla TV, Channel i, and NTV have been found in breach of “political advertising” rules.

Media regulator, Ofcom, received a complaint about an advertisement that featured Lutfur Rahman, the Mayor of the London borough of Tower Hamlets, and stated his aims for improving housing in the borough.

The advertisement was 30 seconds long. It displayed a series of still photographs of local authority housing, demolition and construction work, and the interior of a council flat. The Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, was shown twice, once in the cab of a mechanical digger and later with a couple inspecting a flat.

The advertisement ran on various dates on the different channels within the period 1st January 2012 to 14th January 2012. The advertisement was booked to be transmitted on average 15 times each day it was broadcast on each of the five channels.

Channel S has previously been found in serious breach of the prohibition on political advertising. A significant fine was imposed on that occasion. Channel S Global Limited surrendered its licence and ceased broadcasting.

The other four licensees in this case – Runners TV Limited (NTV), Prime Bangla Limited (Channel i), Bangla TV (UK) Limited (Bangla TV) and ATN Bangla UK Limited (ATN Bangla) – are put on notice that in the event of further serious breaches of sections 321(2) and 321(3), and the corresponding BCAP rules, Ofcom will consider the imposition of significant sanctions.

Surreptitious advertising by Holy Men on Channel i

On 27 Jan 2013, Channel i - Sky Channel 844 - 5pm to 1am aired a programme called "Journey of a Life Time". This was nothing more that a mega "infomercial" for a commercial tour organisation called Bismillah Hajj The communication below with the programme makers and the video explains it all. Needless to say a complaint has been submitted to Ofcom.

Video

E-mail
Subject: Advertising tour to Al Aqsa on Channel i on 27/01/13
To: info@hefazotheislamuk.org


Dear Sir

You replied to my text, where I put it to you that you are advertising during programming on TV.

You replied saying there is no sale going on rather a charitable organisation doing an awareness of the tour package and that all donation will go to Boruna Madrasa. You also gave this email for me to write back.

Thugs harass a couple for drinking alcohol in a London 'Muslim Area'

A group of Muslims harasses a young white couple for wearing skirt and drinking alcohol while walking in part of East London they declare as 'Muslim Area'. These thugs then had the audacity to upload their shameful act on YouTube. The police are investigating this incident using the video and have made two arrests.

Every individual will be a minority at some stage and this sort of awful situation is a nasty experience for anyone to end up in. These thugs think they have the upper hand in the ghetto they live in. They are like and as bad as the right-wing racists.

Video below from news report on a Bengali TV channel broadcast on 20 Jan 2013.

ATN Bangla Sells Tour in a programme

Programme: Journey to Masjid Al Aqsa
Date: Broadcast whole evening starting at 7pm on 21 January 2013
Channel: ATN Bangla – Sky Channel 827

Watch the recording uploaded on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqY_XZPejrI

The Sky TV guide describes this programme as “Live Islamic discussion programme from ATN studio”. But this programme is far from an Islamic discussion, it is actually selling a package tour to Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Saudi Arabia for £1500 per person. The guest, Mawlana Farid Ahmed Khan is the person selling and arranging the tour and one of the tour guide. His mobile, landline and e-mail is given and viewers encouraged to call to discuss special family discount/consideration! Mr Khan is stated to have taken over 80 people on the same tour last year! The tour is promoted heavily with viewers being encouraged to participate to join it. As the channel is no charity, I bet they take commission on every sales generated via this 'infomercial' but is most likely to deny it! Why else would they air such a long advertisement for a tour?

The broadcasting rules makes it clear to keep advertisement separate from programming. This programme clearly merges both into one and is likely to be found in breach by Ofcom. A complaint is made to Ofcom.

 

 

ATN Bangla in trouble for airing “political advert”

In April 2012 I made complaints to Ofcom about several political advertisements on Bengali TV channels broadcasting in the UK. Some of these are still under investigation.

One of the them was about an advert by the youth arm of the Bangladesh Awami League UK. I uploaded the advert on YouTube. As political advertisement is not allowed, Ofcom investigation found ATN Bangla in breach of UK broadcasting rules. Full Ofcom report can be read here.

ATN's response to Ofcom was amateur to say the least. It refers to irrelevant no broadcast advertising rules! ATN also denied that youth arm of the Bangladesh Awami League is NOT political! ATN also denied that the three people who were named on the advert as those who placed the ad and as point of contact were not part of this youth arm.

Bangladesh is at its knees because of internal political fighting and the constant calls of national strikes by political parties. It deeply saddens me to see these parties have such influence in the the UK. It can be said without doubt that a large number of UK Bangladeshis, especially the older generation live in their own 'bubble', secluded from the realities of the real problems we face in the UK. It's the small number of progressive UK Bengalis, especially of the younger generations who endure these problems. Politics of 'back-home' is a real hindrance to our progress in the UK.

Songs of Liberation

An extract from Daily Star article.

Bangladesh's struggle for emancipation from the clutches of alien domination has a long and chequered history behind. The bud of Bangladeshi independence, whose fragrance was effectively perceived for the first time through the glorious Language Movement in 1952, sprouted in all its splendour into a full bloom through the War of Independence in 1971. It was a song - Amar Bhaier Raktey Rangano Ekushey February - with a haunting melody from a genius like Altaf Mahmood - which had always been a very important factor in keeping up the tempo of our long and gruelling struggle at right pitch. But it will be absolutely unjustified if we prepare any list of songs and melodies that helped to boost up the morale of the freedom-hungry Bangladeshis without first paying tributes to the memory of the two great maestros, Tagore and Nazrul, whose songs have become almost synonymous with the culture and tradition of Bangladesh.

Asian radio station fined £4k over homophobic statements

Here is a report by a tech website: A local radio station that serves the South Asian communities in Leeds has been fined £4,000 for allowing one of its presenters to incite hatred against homosexuals live on-air.

Media regulator Ofcom said that the comments made on the Radio Asian Fever community station were "likely to encourage or to incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder". 

This relates to two episodes of the programme Sister Ruby Ramadan Special 2011, aired in August last year, and broadcast in Urdu. 

Presenter Rubina Nasir, also known as Sister Ruby, opened the programme with a Qur'anic verse (Sura Al-Nisa, verse 16) and gave her interpretation of this as being highly critical of mixed-faith marriages, but also homosexuality. 

The presenter went on to discuss various historical events portrayed in the Qur'an in the context of her main discussion of homosexuality.

Zionist Cameramen at Edinburgh Batsheva Protest

Shortly after the Edinburgh Batsheva Protest in August 2012, videos appeared on YouTube trying to discredit the protesters with false allegations. The videos are purported to have been taken by Harvey the Zionist undercover cameraman, then passed to his Zionist friend Richard Millett to upload with false allegations.

Richard Millett makes various false allegations against the protest at his blog. The blog is full of the usual drivels that comes out of nutty Zionists. It's also filled with hate comments from his goon friends.

They refer to Palestine as "Fakistine". Racist bigots such as these then play the victim. Harvey went undercover but was exposed by a protester. The protester rightly pointed out Hervey's ill intent with the videos. Harvey then goes home and cried to his friend Richard Millet saying he was insulted!

He stood on the side of the police like a pussy cat. Later he blogged from the confines of his keyboard like a tiger. This is the style of a true coward. There were few other cameramen taking photos in cowardly manner, see photos below.

Hear the Rohingyas cries

When a Bengali speak about the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, you will often hear statements like "the world watched while a genocide was unleashed on us killing millions". Well, now is the Rohingyas genocide and the world watches again. Worst still, Bangladesh is watching too, as if they cannot remember their own suffering when staring into the eyes of crying Rohingyas. How sad is this world?

The Rohingyas are the most persecuted minority according the the UN. They have lived in Rakhine state of Myanmar for centuries. They are as Burmese as Aung San Suu Kyi, yet Burma's majority Buddhists have unleashed a wave of violence and Aung San Suu Kyi stays silent. How sad is this world?

Tower Hamlets Labour Group expels five councillors

An example of the never ending in-fightings, conspiracies and division amongst Bengali politicians in Tower Hamlet. Politics - a dirty business for dirty individuals! 


From East London Advertiser

Five councillors have been expelled from the Tower Hamlets Labour Group, following claims they campaigned against the party during April’s Spitalfields by-election.

The councillors, Kabir Ahmed, Rofique Ahmed, Shahed Ali, Abdul Asad and Shafiqul Haque, were all found to be in breach of Labour party guidelines, which prohibit members from campaigning against the party or actively supporting opposition politicians or groups.

The Labour Group also reprimanded the councillors for their continued membership of Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s cabinet.

Group leader, councillor Joshua Peck, said: “The five expelled councillors have consistently voted and campaigned against the Labour Party. Whilst it is sad that it has had to come to this, these five councillors made their choice and now have to deal with the consequences.

“I hope that this decision will draw a line under the problems of the past and allow us to focus on the important job of holding the independent Mayor to account and battling the Coalition’s cuts regime.”

Lutfur Rahman's TV propaganda channel

An article by Andrew Gilligan, the Telegraph's London Editor, published in October 2010.

Lutfur Rahman, the fundamentalist sympathiser standing for mayor of Tower Hamlets, hasn’t always done terribly well on television. This encounter with me on Channel 4 was, frankly, a bit of a car crash.

Luckily, in his latest electoral struggle, Lutfur has what amounts to his own personal TV station. Channel S, one of the main British Bangla-language digital channels, flickers away in the corners of many Tower Hamlets living rooms. The channel was founded (and is still closely influenced by) a convicted fraudster and hosts regular appeals for the hardline East London Mosque – home to Lutfur’s biggest backers, the Muslim supremacists of the Islamic Forum of Europe. Another of Lutfur’s main backers is closely involved with the channel.

Channel S has form as long as your arm for blatant and repeated breaches of virtually every part of the broadcasting code on fairness, advertising, accuracy and political impartiality. In December 2008, the regulator, Ofcom, fined it £40,000 for broadcasting a party-political advert for the Liberal Democrats during that year’s mayoral election (one of its presenters, Ajmol Masroor, was the Liberal Democrat candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow at this year’s general election.)

In 2008 Ofcom also censured them for three further breaches: for airing sponsored news bulletins, for running more than the permitted amount of advertising, and for plugging the products of a show's sponsor during the show, which is banned.

Channel S in trouble for advocating Lutfur Rahman's politics

Channel S is in trouble again for breaching Ofcom rules. It is reported in Broadcast Bulletin 208 that a complainant alerted Ofcom to a news report of Channel S News, which the complainant described as a “political press conference, broadcast as a "news" item without any attempt to give an alternative view”.

Channel S stated its view that the complaint in this case originated from “a group of people raising anything and everything that could cause Channel S inconvenience and make our life difficult in relation to the Mayor and Tower Hamlets Council”.

This amateur response shows the the lack of understanding of the people running the channel. And what's this special love for the Mayor? In Ofcom's view complaint from viewers are useful but it only proceeds to a full investigation of broadcast content after carefully assessing programme content as broadcast against the provisions of the Code, and deciding that the content does in fact raise potential issues under the Code. Therefore, whatever the alleged provenance of a particular complaint, broadcasters must comply with the Code.

Ofcom concluded:

We noted that the news report in question showed Lutfur Rahman, the independent mayor for the Tower Hamlets Borough Council, at a press conference announcing his proposed 2012/13 budget for Tower Hamlets Borough Council. In Ofcom‟s opinion because Lutfur Rahman was elected to his post, and exercises certain important executive financial powers in that post (including setting the Tower Hamlets budget), a press conference called to announce and promote his budget could reasonably be regarded as a press conference dealing with policy matters that were politically controversial. In presenting a news item on a press conference dealing with such a matter, a broadcaster must present that news with due impartiality.

Lutfur Rahman is a very controversial figure. He was featured in Channel 4 Dispatches documentary "Britain's Islamic Republic" and thrown out of the Labour Party. Anyone interested in Muslim/Bengali issues must watch this enlightening documentary. Is it a coincidence that the above Ofcom bulletin links to a Labour Party article "Mayor Rahman’s Rotten Borough"? Surely a rotten borough run by a rotten man!

Channel S does not seem to realise the seriousness of these breaches. Outside Bangladesh, Tower Hamlet council in the East End of London has the highest number of Bangladeshis. There are political infighting amongst Bengalis, many of them see politics as a way of landing a lucrative job, when their compatriots are doing menial jobs. Also the big political parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Awami League has a massive grip over the Bengalis in UK, like a debilitating cancer that hinders progress.

Channel S is facilitating the ills of dirty politics amongst British Bangladeshis. 

Ofcom says "We are concerned that the breach in this case comes after three previous contraventions of the Code rules covering due impartiality and elections recorded against Channel S.... We therefore put the Licensee on notice that further breaches of the Code of a similar or related nature will be considered for statutory sanction.

Statutory sanction often means a financial penalty. Lets hope it will be a big one! That is the only way to teach these village idiots a lesson. It will not be too long before they breach the same impartiality rules again.

Not My Business by Niyi Osundare

Not My Business by Niyi Osundare.

Wikipedia: In Not My Business, the people around the voice of the poem are unjustly taken in Nigeria, but the voice says that it is not his business if he is not taken. Eventually, he is taken but there is no-one left to save him.

Osundare used his poem and others to object to the dictatorship that ruled his country under General Sani Abacha from 1993 to 1998. During Abacha's rule, writing poetry was considered a dangerous activity. Osundare regularly wrote poems for a Nigerian national newspaper which commented on the lives of people in that country. As a result, he was frequently called to account by security agents and quizzed about what his poems meant and to whom they referred. Osundare himself says, "with the kind of poetry I write, I can never be the dictator's friend. So I get a knock on the door at two in the morning a couple of times."

The poet criticises people who allow injustices to go on as long as it does not directly affect them. He suggests that if no one stands up against military dictatorship, cruelty, poverty and injustice, it will, eventually, affect their lives.

They picked Akanni up one morning
Beat him soft like clay
And stuffed him down the belly
Of a waiting jeep.
What business of mine is it
So long they don't take the yam
From my savouring mouth?

ATN Bangla Chairman prejudiced

Another part of  the never ending saga of Bengali media in the UK.

From Bangla Mirror

Bangla Mirror Desk:: The Chairman of ATN Bangla TV Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman made prejudiced remark against the people of Sylhet and uncalled-for comment on murdered journalists Sagar and Runi. His remarks created commotion in Bangladeshis living in Britain as well as in Bangladesh.

ATN Bangla in the UK called a press conference on 30 May to inform viewers and listeners about the future plan of the TV.

The ATN Bangla will telecast news at 10pm solely prepared by news department in London with all information of the community and country and the people living in here. Same news will be recast for the convenient of late night viewers at 1am at mid-night.

The ATN Bangla will arrange other programmes according to viewer’s demand. The press conference of the TV was arranged to convey those messages through other media to the viewers. The Chairman of ATN Bangla out- tracked and gave wrong message to print and electronic media here in London.

Commotion built up and spread like wildfire in here and in Bangladesh and he issued a statement to clarify his position.

The statement of ATN Chairman Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman said that some media did not produce his message exactly as he delivered in the press conference. He did not mean to derogate Sylheti community or the language. He wanted to spread culture and heritage of the people of Sylhet through ATN all over the world, it was his dream. Some are out to damage reputation by altering meaning of his message the statement said.