Dhaka, June 26: The Editors Council of Bangladesh has strongly condemned the recent attacks on journalists in the Dhaka area of Dhanmondi. According to local media reports, the Council has demanded a swift, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident.
On June 23, members of the radical Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami allegedly attacked several journalists in the Dhanmondi 32 area. The assailants accused the journalists of being affiliated with the Awami League.
Among the injured were Rabbi Siddiqui, a senior reporter for Jamuna Television, and Mahfuzur Rahman Shishir, a reporter for Daily Sakal Multimedia.
The Dhaka Tribune reported that the attack occurred while journalists were gathering information following a political event held by the Dhaka South unit of Jamaat. The organization questioned Jamaat’s claim that the incident was due to a “misunderstanding.” They stated, “There is no justification for attacking journalists while they are performing their professional duties.”
The Council emphasized that such attacks pose a threat to press freedom, obstruct journalists’ right to gather news, and undermine freedom of speech. They urged authorities to identify those responsible for the attacks through a credible investigation and ensure appropriate legal action against them.
The Editors Council also called for a safe environment for journalists to perform their professional responsibilities without fear in the future.
Witnesses reported to the Bangladeshi media outlet Views Bangladesh that Jamaat activists assaulted journalist Mahfuzur Rahman Shishir, grabbing his collar and beating him after he fell to the ground.
Speaking to fellow journalists, Shishir expressed, “Jamaat activists beat me and injured me. This is shameful. You talk about press freedom. Is grabbing a journalist’s collar and beating them an example of that freedom?”
It is noteworthy that incidents of attacks on journalists in Bangladesh have surged since the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. Alarmingly, such attacks have continued even during the tenure of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
Earlier this month, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international press freedom group, urged Prime Minister Tariq Rahman to fulfill his electoral promise to protect media freedom in the country. They demanded an end to “biased persecution of journalists” following the first 100 days of his government.
Kunal Majumdar, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Program Coordinator, stated, “Press freedom in Bangladesh has often been used by each new government as an opportunity to enact laws against journalists allegedly linked to previous administrations. Prime Minister Tariq Rahman’s government promised a break from this pattern, yet after 100 days, no significant changes have occurred.”
He further suggested that the government could start by releasing imprisoned journalists, withdrawing politically motivated cases, ceasing political reprisals against journalists, protecting them from mob violence, halting smear campaigns, and amending laws that enable such actions. These steps would ensure that a consistent standard applies to all journalists, regardless of their perceived affiliations.
The CPJ has called for an end to the criminal justice system’s use against media professionals, noting that since August 2024, dozens of journalists have been detained or charged for coverage deemed supportive of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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K.K./PM
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