Did a little editing of the original email, and posted it here again...............

On Sunday, June 22, 2003 at 4:54:34 PM UTC+6, Satya Sandhani wrote:
From: "Asif Hasan" <asif_h...@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun Apr 14, 2002 2:40 pm

Subject: [shetubondhon] On Ekushey TV and the removal of Mahmud Ali from BBC

Dr. Syed Mahmud Ali, Editor of BBC Bengali Service was removed from his post when the Bangladesh Information Ministry crammed down the throat of BBC (to the extent that BBC transmission to BD will be blocked) to remove him from the post. The charge
against him was:

1) After the 1975 coup, he as an army captain was sent to arrest Tajuddin Ahmed by a presidential order that Khandaker Mustaq who had illegally captured the presidency.

2) He was stationed in Pakistan and forced to go to the Indian border during the Bangladesh Liberation War (also called the Indo-Pak War by some party).

These made him a coup leader, and an officer who took arms against Bangladesh. These charges were based on a Janakantha interview that was taken by Ms. Masuda Bhatti, a Bangladeshi writer (more a namecalling polemicist than a writer) who quibbles in the
Janakantha circle; Mahmud Ali was shown as a Pakistani-minded man. In her personal life, Masuda has a Pakistani man as her husband. Mahmud Ali maintained till his removal that he was misquoted in the interview.

Shy and soft-spoken Mahmud Ali was the recipient of a John F. Kennedy fellowship during his Ph.D. stint, he authored a couple of books on South Asian politics. He lived on the BBC job with his wife and two teenage kids he was fostering with fatherly
love from his wife's first marriage. He was a rare breed of Bangladeshi army officer who pursued education after leaving the military service in 1986.

He had been frank and outspoken about the presidential order (arresting Tajuddin) all along because he did not see what else any other army captain could do in such a situation. After Mahmud Ali had shared this within the inner circle of BBC, he was a
constant victim of blackmail by journalist K.G. Mustafa. K.G. Mustafa forced Mahmud Ali to hire his son Shabir Mustafa and another BCL cadre in the BBC Bangla service. After these were fulfilled Mahmud Ali was disposed like a piece of garbage.

He was transferred most ungracefully. Now BBC Bangla service is headed by an Indian national. The news service now is somewhat biased.

Seeing all those who are dedicating themselves to seeking justice, could we do something to help Mahmud Ali get justice as well?

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