The interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, has come under severe criticism for the indescribable persecution of journalists in a joint statement issued by 88 expatriate journalists, writers, teachers-researchers, and cultural and rights activists on Wednesday.
โIn the history of our land, such persecution, oppression, job losses, and attempts to silence the media and stop the pens have not occurred before. We are not aware of such incidents happening anywhere in the democratic world. We strongly condemn and protest against the unprecedented persecution of journalists and the suppression of freedom of speech,โ the statement said.
Yunus Gangโs โmobโ and โpressure groupโ theory
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The signatories are deeply concerned to observe the persecution while various written and unwritten controls are being imposed on the media and social media to suppress freedom of expression, which they consider to be an extremely shameful and despicable step.
โAlthough we live abroad, we remain concerned about the well-being of our country as always. Therefore, we consider it our moral duty to criticise and protest against any harm to the country,โ it said.
During the 11 months of the government, at least 412 journalists have been made defendants in various harassment cases, including murder cases; 39 journalists have been arrested; travel bans have been imposed on over three hundred journalists; bank accounts of over a hundred journalists have been seized; and harassment cases of corruption have been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Moreover, over 1,000 journalists across the country, including in Dhaka, have been dismissed from their jobs; press accreditation cards of 168 journalists have been canceled; membership of 101 journalists has been suspended, canceled, or expelled from press clubs across the country, including the National Press Club; and unprecedented incidents like media takeovers have occurred in Bangladesh.
During the July-August movement and in the subsequent period, 10 journalists were killed, and countless journalists were injured, but the government did not extend any assistance to the affected journalists or their families; rather, the scope of persecution has only expanded, they said.
The people of the country have also witnessed an unprecedented incident like โJeafotโ, where a mob was created in front of a newspaper office to slaughter cows.
โThis is probably a rare incident not only in Bangladesh but in the entire world. As a result of these persecutions and oppressions, many journalists and their families are suffering indescribable mental, social, and economic hardships and are living subhuman lives. Needless to say, the mentioned numbers are constantly increasing,โ the statement added.
The signatories said these oppressive actions are primarily aimed at suppressing freedom of speech, as a result of which the countryโs image has been severely questioned everywhere.
Moreover, no initiative has been observed by the government to remedy these blanket cases, job losses, and other oppressive incidents; rather, the opposite has been seen. โThis has raised our suspicion that the government itself is involved in the persecution process.
โCurrently, there is an interim government in power in Bangladesh, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner is in charge as the head of government. Moreover, members of the advisory council have been vocal in the past about protecting journalistsโ rights. Yet, today, under their watch, incidents of journalist persecution and suppression of freedom of speech are occurring, which have disappointed and hurt us,โ the statement added.
The signatories include, among others, Syed Badrul Ahsan, Senior Journalist, Researcher, and Writer, UK; Dr. Mukid Chowdhury, Fiction Writer, Essayist, and Researcher, UK; Sujat Mansur, Journalist and Essayist, UK; Ashequn Nabi Chowdhury, Journalist, UK; Shaugat Ali Sagor, Journalist, Publisher & Editor In Chief, Notundesh, Canada; Dr. Rayhan Rashid, Lawyer & Rights Activist, UK; Sabbir Khan, Journalist and Writer, Sweden; Azam Khan, Blogger and Activist, Switzerland; Freedom Fighter Dr. Nurun Nabi, Ekushey Padak-Winning Writer and Scientist, USA; Freedom Fighter Tazul Imam, Lyricist, Composer, and Vocalist, USA; Dr. Niru K. Nahar, Writer & Research Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Dr. Raihan Jamil, Educator, Researcher, and Writer, USA; Taimur Faruk Tusher, Journalist and Presenter, USA; Sagar Lohani, Journalist, Editor & Publisher, Bangalianaa, USA; Harun Al Rashid, Fiction Writer and Former Diplomat, Canada; Afsana Kishwar Lochan, Journalist and Presenter, Canada; Fazlul Bari, Journalist, Australia; Ajoy Dasgupta, Essayist, Columnist, Rhymester and Media Personality, Australia; and Abul Hasnat Milton, Poet and Physician, Australia.
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