Dhaka,
27 April 2020:
The government imposed a countrywide
lockdown from 26 March 2020 and extended for the third consecutive period until
05 May 2020 for containment of the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Forum for Freedom of Expression,
Bangladesh (FExB) or মুক্ত প্রাকাশ(in
Bangla), a
network of media rights defenders has expressed deep anguish and grave concern
over the developments during 30 Days of Lockdown which has taken a toll on
Bangladesh news organisations, journalists, whistleblowers, and
citizen-journalists.
The country is reeling from the
COVID-19 crisis and the vulnerable segments of our society are the most at risk.
Besides the “healthcare warriors”, the journalists are also on the frontline.
The journalists and citizen-journalists are frequently targeted by state and
non-state actors while reporting on the COVID-19 outbreak, which FExB reckons
to be a serious threat to freedom of expression.
When Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took
an effort to scale-up food aid for the disadvantaged population in response to
the nationwide shutdown, the media organizations, journalists and
whistleblowers had to take the brunt of anger and vengeance by local leaders
and government officials including the police.
Nearly twenty journalists were
attacked, intimidated, harassed, or arrested for reporting on pilferage,
corruption, and lack of accountability in food aid meant for poor people who
are facing extreme hardship during the lockdown.
FExB states that Thakurgaon district
is the worst place for journalism in the country after six journalists were subjected
to judicial harassment within a week.
On 19 April, two editors Toufique
Imrose Khalidi, Editor-in-Chief of bdnews24.com, Mohiuddin Sarker,
acting editor of jagonews24.com along with three other journalists Rahim
Suvho, Thakurgaon correspondent of bdnews24.com and a local
journalist Shaown Amin were accused under draconian Digital Security
Act.
After ten days of publication of the news
in two news portals on misappropriation of open market sale (OMS) rice, the
Baliadangi Upazila’s Swechchhasebak League, also a local ruling party leader
Mominul Islam filed a case against the journalists. The case is under
investigation and none has been arrested.
It was also alleged that other
journalists posted aggressive, false, and defamatory information against him
(Mominul Islam) and his brother a Union Parishad chairman Aminul Islam Amin on
their Facebook pages.
In a separate case on 15 April, police
sued Al Mamun, correspondent of Dainik Odhikar district
correspondent under notorious cybersecurity laws for criticising the district
civil administration in Facebook for its failure to take effective measures to contain
the spread of coronavirus during the lockdown.
On 21 April, another journalist in
Thakurgaon Abdul Latif Litu, a local correspondent of popular newspaper Bangladesh
Pratidin and private TV channel News 24 was assaulted by police at a
check post during the lockdown.
FExB is deeply concerned regarding the
series of attacks, intimidation, and judicial harassment of journalists and
other media organisations all over the country, during the 30 Days of Lockdown.
On 31 March 2020, Sagor Chowdhury,
a freelance video-blogger and editor of a local news portal 360degree was
publicly assaulted by Nabil Hyder, son of Jashim Uddin Hyder, president of
Borhanuddin Upazila Awami League and also chairman of Boro Manika Union Parishad
over posting a live video on Facebook. Police arrested the perpetrator Nabil Hyder,
a member of the Chattra League of Dhaka University.
On 1 April 2020, three journalists Shah
Sultan Ahmed, Nabiganj Upazila correspondent of the Dainik Protidiner
Sangbad in Habiganj, Mujibur Rahman, correspondent of Dainik Amar
Sangbad and Bulbul Ahmed, correspondent of private TV Channel-S
were attacked with a cricket bat by Mahibur Rahman Harun, chairman of Aushkandi
Union Parishad and also a local leader of the ruling party. Sultan was shifted
to Osmani Medical College in Sylhet with critical injuries.
Earlier, Sultan posted a live video on
Facebook which revealed that the local leader (Harun) was distributing each of
the families 5 kg of rice instead of the allocation of 10 kg.
On 10 April 2020, Nasir Uddin Rocky,
a staff reporter of vernacular daily Dainik Jugantor in Chittagong was
on his way to the newspaper office riding a motorcycle. At a check-post, the
police arrested the journalist, later released unconditionally. The police
officer was suspended.
On 12 April 2020, police in Bogura at
a check-post, arbitrarily handcuffed and assaulted two journalists Majedur
Rahman, correspondent of a private channel Shomoy TV and Shahjahan
Ali of a private channel Ekattor TV. The journalists were dragged to
the police station and were released. The delinquent police officers were
suspended.
On 14 April 2020, police arrested Golam
Sarwar Pintu, journalist of Dainik Bangladesher Alo after Sheikh
Salim, a Dhaka city councillor of Ward 38 filed a case under notorious Digital
Security Act with Badda Police Station.
Pintu’s crime was the publication of
news regarding angry urban-poor community held protest demanding food aid
during the lockdown.
On 16 April 2020, police assaulted Tuhin
Howlader, court correspondent of a vernacular daily Bangladesh Pratidin
in the capital Dhaka.
On 18 April, Bangla Vision TV correspondent
Kamal Hossain was attacked by hooligans in Barishal when he tried to
cover a gathering that had formed – in violation of the lockdown – because
members of the local Department of Narcotics were selling alcohol to the
public.
On 21 April, Rezwan Karim Sabbir,
a Jaintapur upazila correspondent of the daily Nayadiganta and the Dainik
Sylhet Mirror, a member of the Sylhet Jaintapur Press Club, was hospitalized
at Sylhet Medical College with serious head injuries after he wa attacked by Abul
Hasim, who was annoyed by an article in which the journalist had reported a
local coronavirus case.
On 23 April 2020, Chairman of Amirganj
Union Parishad in Narsingdi mercilessly assaulted Baten Biplob, Senior
Crime Reporter and TV Anchor of SATV KHOJ, and Sajal Bhuiyan
Narsingdi correspondent of TV channel SATV.
Baten Biplob in his Facebook post
described the barbaric attack on journalist Sajal Bhuiyan who was profusely
bleeding and crying in pain. He was admitted to Narsingdi government hospital.
The perpetrators were not arrested and the police administration is not
cooperating, it was alleged.
FExB demands to end impunity and to
bring them to justice of the local leaders, police, and district administration
officials responsible over the attacks, judicial harassments, intimidations,
and arrests of frontline “media warriors”. #
Endorsed and signed by Media
Rights Defenders:
1.
Dr.
Aireen Jaman, General
Secretary, PEN International, Bangladesh, London;
2.
Faruq
Faisel, South Asia
Regional Director, Article 19, London;
3.
Saleem
Samad, Correspondent, Reporter
Without Borders (RSF), Paris;
4.
Ahmed
Swapan Mahmud, CEO, VOICE,
Dhaka
5.
Khairuzzaman
Kamal, Representative International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Brussels;
6.
Mainul
Islam Khan,
Representative, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York;
7.
Biplob
Mostafiz, Member, Mukto
Prakash (FExB), Media Rights Defender;
8.
Sayeed
Ahmad, Representative, Front
Line Defenders, Dublin, Ireland;
9.
Ahamad
Ullah, Member, Bangladesh
Manabadhikar Sangbadik Forum (BMSF), Dhaka;
10.
GM
Mourtaza, CEO, CCD
Bangladesh; Rajshahi.
For more information, please contact Saleem Samad: Mobile: +88-01711-530207; Email:
ForumForFExB@gmail.com, Twitter: @saleemsamad; Faruq Faisel: Mobile: +88-01730-710267, Email: faruq@article19.org. Twitter: @faruqfaisel
