In the month of March-April expedition of present government against corruption, illegal position eviction, expedition against corruption, terrorist activities, market price, development news, political, violence, democracy, education, fire, decline of law and order, women torture, rescue arms, stealing-robbery, meeting-seminar, expedition of joint forces, agriculture problem, extortion and other different reports have published in 2007.Journalists were stopped up to publish reports due to on weakness of law enforcement agency for the emergency ordinance, feeling to relatives and legal forbidden conditions. To collect information journalists faced troubles from different offices and organizations. Some offices and organizations are avoiding by showing an excuse of emergency ordinance and official secrets act. After publishing a report on Char area outside of Bhola, district primary education officer didn’t agree to give an interview cause of official secrets act, our Noakhali corresponded told.Chitto Ranjon Sheel, District correspondent of Sangbad, Mushfiqul Islam Arif, District correspondent of RTV were harassed by a police constable and District judge, when they tried to collect information on the verdict of jangi (military) at district judge court in Barguna in the month of March.
But journalists of Feni, Pirojpur and Jhalokati didn’t face any troubles from anywhere. There was no problem to collect information especially for the caretaker government and develop of law enforcement situation, said journalists of these districts. Many journalists told that some negative impact was found after publishing reports but most of the reports were positive in this two months. Law enforcement agencies have taken newspaper as main source of assistance to take their initiatives. A women who didn’t agree willingly to be prostitute, was rescued by a non-government organization named Rupantor. Rehabilitation for the losers of the project of Muhuri-Kahua damp inhabitation, proper action against authority for low quality work of Sonapur high school, rescue a widow’s dead body, to stop loot of centre fee of SSC and Dakhil examination all these activities completed.
Some journalists expressed deep anxiety that some musclemen and political parties have taken their own advantages from journalists for the lack of unity of among the journalists community. Though journalists and press club have no unity but they have good relation with local and police administration and businessmen. No extremist activities on journalists in the local area were found. An extremist named Shoeb tortured on a woman and organized a press conference with the help of journalists to dishonor her. TIB, Sacheton Nagorik Comittee, Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) and other non-government organizations caried out some promotional activities for professional development of journalists and develop of newspaper in this time except Feni district. They organized meeting, seminars, training, exchange opinion meeting and rally. PIB organized three-day workshop for concern on bird flow at Noakhali. Some districts have celebrated World Press Freedom Day. Full report as PDF ( Bangla & English )
Trend of positive news publish increased in local level
Different social crime and development news published in the month of May-June at ten coastal areas in the country. Positive news published more due to change of political situation in this two month. This information is provided by local journalists. All these information quoted from an investigative survey on the types of news and the torture news of journalists, conducted by Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) in the month of May-June 2007 at ten coastal areas.Journalists of Pirojpur, Feni, Jhalokati, Patuakhali, Barguna, Betagi, Pathorghata and Bamna, didn’t face any resist to collect the information from different offices. In every district published positive news in this time. After publishing different development reports, authority has given hope to take necessary steps. As a result some activities have taken like establish hawkers market in a fixed place and cases filed against few musclemen and sent to jail them. Journalists of few districts couldn’t publish report on the activities of joint forces for the legal obligation. In Bagerhat, army warrant officer ordered journalists not to publish negative news on the activities of joint forces. Joint forces have ordered to check out all reports on the fertilizer crises and flood crisis related reports before publish. Administrations controlled advertisement policy in this time. Government supported newspaper got most advertises in present time. Sometimes powerful terrorists and brokers were active on journalists and newspaper in spite of emergency situation. But involvement of joint forces have decreased on May-June. Media based organization Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) arranged World Press Freedom issue on May. Another activity for professional development of journalists and improvement of newspaper in this time also carried out. MMC organized meeting, seminars, training, meeting of exchange opinion and rally almost every district. Moreover, different non-government organizations like: Pirojpur Gano Unnayan Samiti, CDI and PDF organized a press conference with the journalists.
World Press Freedom Day 2007 followed about every district on May first week. Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) was in active role as an organizer.
Journalists’ Torture: Case file after three years
Md. Nasir photojournalists of Ajker Paribarton and Nuruzzaman of Daily Dakkhinanchal were harassed by cadre of an arrested local MP at
Barisal district. Local correspondent informed that they attacked to take photograph of accused MP. The leader of Purbo Bangla Communist party threatened Samol Sarker, the correspondent of Ajker Kagoj and ATN Bangla over phone without any reason. Before that one journalist threatened of unknown reason and tortured several times to publish news, our correspondent said.
Gofran Bishaws, the correspondent of Daily Star and Observer and Shamsul Alam, the correspondent of Bangla Bazar and Vozhori Kundu, the correspondent of Sangbad of Kalaroa, attacked by terrorist on 15 March 2004. They took away Gofran’s camera. A normal dairy filed on 18 May 2004 but a case filed on May 30. Harassed journalists took all attempts according to law but accused persons are not arrest till. As a result, he is suffering insecurity. The role of police is a question in this sector.
May - June, 2007 MMC Report
In the month of March-April six journalists were tortured in ten coastal districts by political parties, miscreants and terrorist group. One reporter threatened and assaulted, one threatened including defamation case and another four journalists were threatened. Local journalists have claimed that political instability, extortion, narcotics and various kind of irregularity are the cause of journalist torture. This information is quoted from an investigative survey in the month of March-April in 2007 conducted by Mass-line Media Centre (MMC). Jashim Joni, Lalmohon
thana correspondent of The Daily Ajker Paribarton and Jugantor was threatened and tortured by a terrorist group for publishing the news on the torture and extortion of ex-water resource minister’s ASP’s father-in-law and brother-in-law. The terrorist group filed a defamation case against reporter through his relative Zakir Hossain. Before the case filing they threaded the reporter by source and mobile phone. Beside this he became victim of police harassment, economical and mental hazard. Raju Islam, staff reporter of The Daily Ajker Paribarton of
Barisal, threatened by drug sellers for published a report on drug sell at
Barisal. Once they attacked reporter’s house and injured his mother. Newspaper authority refrain the journalist from filing case to avoid the complication. But he filed a G.D. at Kotoali
thana in later time and this news published in local and national newspaper. Local administration is playing positive role to journalist. But local administration of
Barisal did not take step against drugs. As a result drug spread out is almost same as before. For the lack of security reporters can not publish any news on drug issue. Journalists of Jhalokati are administratively active. Many told that they are not interested to file case due to haven’t get any prevention from the torture related case. In some districts local administrations behave cooperatively on behalf of oppressed journalists and it is require ensuring their security. Journalists informed that as opposition party is strong, leader of political party, terror groups so they need legal assistance in this connection.
six month_Jan-June_bangla
In the coastal area 16 journalists are harassed (January-February)
The political parties, corrupted person, miscreant and terrorist harass sixteen journalists of 10 coastal areas in Bangladesh in different way in the month of January-February. The causes of harassment are political instability, corruption, terrorism and different irregularities. Local journalists sources said.
All these information quoted from an investigative survey, conducted by Mass-Line Media Centre (MMC) in the month of January-February 2007.
Barisal
A case was filed against the publisher, editor and chief of bureau of The Daily Samokal. The case was filed by Barisal City Corporation (BCC) Mayor, Sarwar Hossain, for publish the news of ‘The luck of BCC Mayor are turning like rocket in 5 years’.
Another report, ‘BCC Mayor goes to the out scene of people’, for publishing this news a law notice circulated against the publisher, editor, news editor and the chief of Barisal bureau of The Daily Prothom Alo. Mamunur Rashid Nomani, journalists of The Daily Shanama of Barisal, was arrested by RAB on February 8 with the allegation of extortion. But he and got free from the allegation on April 2007.
Jhalokati
Journalists Palash Roy, Hasan Sikder and Raton of Jhalokati district were threatened when they try to collect information on becoming millionaire of ex-law minister. Palash Roy also threatened by Fazlul Haq, son of a boatman at Jhalokathi for pulishing the report ‘suddenly became millionaire of a boatman’s son’. Humayun Kabir, representative of The Daily Dakkhinanchal threatened for publish the report on the activities of Mijan forces.
Pirojpur
Humayun Kabir, editor of The weekly Dak of Pirojpur district was arrested and sent to jail when he try to collect information on tender corruption of housing department in Pirojpore. He was reversely charged with extortion and sent to jail.
Laxmipur
Some tender corruption also happened at Laxmipur district. There , a case was filed against Abul Kalam Azad, correspondent of NTV and Daily Jugantor for publishing the report of tender corruption of housing department of Laxmipur. There was also an interesting case against the correspondent of The Daily Inquilab, Hossain Ahmed Helal, not to give false statement against the reporting of tender corruption of the reporter Daily Jugantar. Now he (Hossain Ahmed Helal) is staying at jail under the emergency ordinance section 16.
Noakhali
M. Dilder uddin was threatened by a local BNP leader. BNP leader of Hatia thana declared in a public meeting that Dildar Uddin might be punnished by BNP activists due to publish the reports on the torture of BNP.
It is known to the survey, most of the journalists harassment events happened in local level. To prevent these tortures, the local journalists of Barisal, Noakhali, Jhalokathi have already protested jointly. But it is not happened at Laxmipur and Pirojpur.
From the opinion of journalists of different district, it is clear that the local and common people could not organize the seminar meeting to protest the persecution of the present emergency ordinance in the country.
Types of published news
In the month of January-February corruption and torture, illegal position eviction, expedition against adulteration, rescue of relief tin, agriculture problem, expedition of joint forces and other different development reports have more published.
Journalists have brought this type of change on their report after happened the emergency ordinance on January 11. This information got from different journalists of 8 districts in the country.
In past two months journalists covered huge write ups on the issues of corruption, illegal possession, law and order situation of the period of past government and opposition parties. But the journalists of Bagerhat, Noakhali, Bhola and Borguna did not cover many important news due to survive their existence. In result, people were deprived from those important information.
On the other hand, many important news did not publish and it was not possible to raise the wrong step of joint forces. A journalist of Laxmipur district said that if a journalist wants to report on the action of joint forces he/she must be punished and faced a false case by joint forces.
Many journalists informed that positive news has published more in this time. As the irregularities of different influential person and the political pressure many reports could not publish in last 5 years. Some of those reports have been published in this time. The activities of influential person, political activities were stopped with the presence of joint forces in field level.
Our Bagerhat correspondent informed that a lot number of terrorists caught up by joint forces in this time.
Our Pirojpur correspondent informed that a report on women and child harassment published in newspaper and local women alliance arranged procession against a householder and police arrested him. After published the report on clinical business, illegal possession and other different issues of Laxmipur, administration and joint forces took their attempt.
Some journalists expressed that many journalists are harassed and used by political and other influential persons due to have no unity among the journalists. But they demanded that they have good relation with local administration, police administration and business community.
Administration does not create direct pressure on newspaper by controlling the advertisement now. But they are creating pressure to control advertisement upon some newspaper indirectly, informed some representatives.
No activities were taken by any institute for the professional development of journalists in this time.The information is provided by the journalists of Bhola, Potuakhali, Feni, Pirojpore, Noakhali and Bagerhat. But the correspondent of Barguna and Laxmipur informed that Mass-line Media Centre (MMC) was in active role with the activities like seminar, training, procession etc.
Journalist Harassment Bangla report January - February 07 as PDF >>
