Dr. Syed Mahmud Ali, Editor, BBC Bengali Service was removed from his
post when 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 gave.
2) He was a stationed in Pakistan and forced to go to the India border
during Bangladesh liberation war (also called 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 personal
life Masuda has a Pakistani man for husband. Mahmud Ali maintained
till his removal that he was misquoted in the interview.
Shy and soft sopken Mahmud Ali was the recipent of John F. Kennedy
fellowship during his Ph D stint, he authored couple of books on South
Asian politics. He lived on the BBC job with his wife and two teen
aged 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
jouranalist K.G. Mustafa. K.G. Mustafa forced Mahmud Ali to hire his
son Shabir Mustafa and another BCL cadre in BBC Bangla service. After
these were fullfilled 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 seek justice, could we do
something to help Mahmud Ali getting justice as well?