Sikder Group is not only a pioneer in the field of medical services in Bangladesh but also a role model in the power, real estate, banking, insurance and aviation sector. One cannot rebut its immense contribution to the country's economic and infrastructure development. It is noted that some media outlets and their journalists are trying to defame this famed group of companies based on some unsubstantiated allegations.
Journalism is a highly responsible profession where specific code of ethics should be adhered to strictly. Journalists have the right to access any information but side by side they have the obligations to verify and analyse the information available to be certain about their authenticity.
In a democratic society, the fundamental responsibility of journalists is to provide the people with the information they need for conducting their political, commercial and social activities.
Presenting such information before the people without distortion is called journalism. As a profession, journalism is highly responsible and risky. Journalists must be respectful to morality, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. Accountability in journalism goes parallel with the freedom of expression.
Defaming any person or institution by running any news story based simply on guess or any fabricated news item out of ill motive does not only go contrary to the journalism ethics, but also constitutes crimes under the law of the land. Journalists must be excessively cautious while making any news item on a sensitive matter. They need to take help from reliable sources in gathering information but they must verify them to be sure about their accuracy.
But what are we seeing nowadays? The lack of morality in journalism in our country has been deep-seated in some instances. The mentality of serving own interest and the greed for money or other benefits of the journalists or media outlets concerned are more responsible for this situation than their inefficiency. Journalists are gradually losing public respect because of the spread of this unethical journalism.
We all are aware of yellow journalism. In an extreme example of such journalism, several newspapers and their journalists have recently been up and doing to defame a renowned group of companies.
A case was filed against the group and it is under investigation. However, the newspapers in question started running big front-page stories based on the case, before the completion of the probe, only to serve the interest of a vested quarter.
Referring to the case petition, the reports said directors of a business conglomerate threatened to kill the managing director of a bank after calling him in.
No newspaper can legally or ethically say before the completion of the investigation that the claimed offence really took place. If any newspaper reaches any conclusion before the probe is done, there is every chance that their reports will influence the investigation and the trial.
It is easily understandable that anyone has to attain the trust of the bank for securing loans from it; no threat can help manage any loans. No one needs to be an expert to understand that any businessman will never shot at any bank officials to force them to pay loans. It requires no explanation that the claim of the threat is unbelievable.
One of the newspapers stated that the bank managing director was shot at in the city’s Purbachal area. But here a question arises whether the investigator has found any evidence. There must have been evidence had such incident really taken place. It is complete compromise with journalism ethics to run stories merely based on the statement of a party, before the investigation is done.
The statement of the bank has given rise to another question – why the managing director went there? If the bank was not in process to pay loans to the group, why did he visit Purbachal? What several newspapers wrote on the matter was nothing but false and baseless information. Such false media reports can defame any individual or institution, but at the cost of the media outlets’ reputation and credibility.
Records at the Dhaka airport 10 years ago will show that Sikder Group directors and officials would fly to Thailand almost every week by airlines or own aircraft as they have business there. The Sikder family members attend appointment with doctors in Bangkok regularly. Publishing guess-based news stories against them without knowing the fact is an offence punishable under the law of the country.
The people of the country are not unaware of the role Sikder Group is playing for the development of the country and for the benevolent causes. Sikder Group has several service-oriented organisations, including Sikder Medical College and Hospital, which is the first in the country to offer heart operation by foreign surgeons at very low cost. Such facilities are not available in any other hospital in Bangladesh.
Sikder Medical played a key role in providing treatment to those injured in the 21 August grenade attack carried out by BNP and Jamaat on the peace rally of Awami League in 2004 where Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina, the leader of opposition in Parliament at the time, was the chief guest. The hospital, which has floors after the names of Bangabandhu’s sons Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, was open to the injured Awami League leaders and activists.
It is worth mentioning here that no Awami League leaders and activists, only other than several high-profile leaders, could admit to hospital because BNP and Jamaat activists stood against their treatment and because everyone was aware that the attack was conducted under the patronage of the then government.
The contribution of Sikder Group to the country, its citizens and pro-liberation people is not meagre. We wish to tell those publishing false and fabricated news stories against Sikder Group out of ill motive that if anyone hurls stones at a hill, he simply loses the stone; nothing happens to the hill. If anyone, staying in a glass house, throws any stone, only the house gets damaged.
Zainul Haque Sikder, who was a close associate of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and was greatly inspired by his ideology, has not learned to take anything from anyone; he has only learned to give.
He is a founder of private National Bank Ltd. The existing law does not permit disbursement of any loan to banks’ own directors and it applies to National Bank Ltd too.
The newsmen who published reports against Sikder Group should have known this fact. Zainul Haque Sikder approved disbursement of loans amounting to thousands of crores of taka to industries for development entrepreneurs as he knows they have huge role in the economic development of the country.
Sikder Group has joined hands with the government in materialising the Vision 2041, which aims to turn Bangladesh into a middle-income country.
Bangladesh is going to attain a new height in architecture through the activities of Sikder Group, which is constructing Bangabandhu Tri-Towers at Central Business District (CBD) in the capital’s Purbachal New Town. The project will have a total of 42 skyscrapers, including a 473-metre tall 111-storey iconic Legacy Tower, the World’s 5th tallest building, wherein the 96th floor will symbolise the journey of Legacy of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The 71-storey Liberty Tower will represent the Liberation War of 1971 and 52-storey Language Tower will represent the Language Movement in 1952. The top of the Tri-Tower design will have elements of Shaheed Minar while matching design is made with the motif of the National Monument at Savar.
Sikder Group is playing a huge role in the economic development and in employment generation in the country. It is making great contribution to the health sector and lately developing a special economic zone.
Sikder real estate companies have been contributing to the country’s infrastructural development for the last several decades. Besides Bangladesh, the group has huge investment in different countries, including Thailand, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States. Sikder Group has created jobs for around 50,000 people and another 40,000 people will be employed in its new projects.
When the mega Bangabandhu Tri-Tower project will be implemented, people of Bangladesh will say to the world with pride that ‘we too can’.
Sharif Shahab Uddin is the editor-in-chief of Bangladesh Post