Picture shows Shyamal Datta, Muzammil Babu, Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed.
There’s mounting condemnation of the Bangladeshi authorities over oppression of the media, in the political crisis following the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August.
Media and civil rights campaigners at home and abroad have called on the interim administration of Mohammad Yunus to protect journalists, who they say face bogus charges, meant to intimidate.
More than 50 journalists have been detained in different cases. Among the latest are the editor of the Bhorer Kagoj newspaper and CJA vice president Shyamal Datta, and the chief editor of Ekattor TV, Muzammil Babu. Others include the prominent husband and wife team Farzana Rupa and Shakil Ahmed, both of the Ekattor TV channel, who were held at the airport in Dhaka as they were about to leave for Paris.
Bangladesh’s Editors’ Council has condemned the action against journalists, saying it undermines the interim government’s commitment to protect an independent media.
The CJA, in a statement, called for the immediate release of journalists, see right “We Say Drop These Trumped-Up Charges”.
The detentions come against a background of more violence directed at media outlets in Bangladesh – several journalists have been targetted and killed in recent months.
In other international reaction, the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm at the “apparently baseless criminal cases lodged against Bangladeshi journalists in retaliation for their work, which is seen as supportive of the recently ousted government”. A spokesman called on the government to safeguard the ability of all journalists to report without fear of reprisal.
The French-based RSF deplored recent developments in a message to Mohammad Yunus, saying the government must keep its promise to protect journalists, in line with its duty to ensure their right to a fair trial. It said it must ensure that all journalists can produce information,
work safely and with complete independence, without fear of legal prosecution.
Media professionals must be protected and not bear the brunt of the public’s anger towards the former government. They must not become scapegoats for the reprehensible practices of the former regime … RSF
The International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, said the Bangladeshi media must be free to report without fear of retaliation, and a plurality of voices must be encouraged through the Interim Government’s time in power.
The Bangladesh Manobadhikar Sangbadik Forum, an affiliate of the IFJ, said the actions by the authorities meant that journalists were being criminalised and this could not be allowed to continue.
The Women Press Freedom movement called for complete transparency regarding accusations against journalists. “It is crucial for Bangladeshi authorities to ensure an impartial investigation, as it is essential in the provision of justice and upholding the values of press freedom,” it said.
The Observatory of Killed Journalists, published by UNESCO, reports that five journalists lost their lives in Bangladesh this year up until August 4, and that 33 have been killed in the last 30 years. And the World Press Freedom Index reports a significant drop in the country’s standing – it now ranks 165th out of 180 countries surveyed.
