In a joint statement, as many as 109 domestic and foreign protesting citizens, including freedom fighters, journalists, writers, artists, literary teachers, lawyers, and human rights activists, have demanded a judicial investigation and legal action against the chief adviserโs press wing based on complaints mentioned by journalist and freedom fighter Bibhuranjan Sarker in his open letter.
They also demanded the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists, the withdrawal of all harassment cases, and an end to any kind of oppression of journalists.
The statement said that since August 5 last year, journalists in Bangladesh have been subjected to indescribable torture. The right to express opinions is being killed in the media and on social media in Bangladesh. Various written and unwritten controls are being imposed, and pressure is being applied through various techniques.
โThere is extreme fear and instability among the entire media sector and media workers in Bangladesh. Most of which is being done from various levels of the current interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
โThe latest victim of the situation is journalist columnist Bibhuranjan Sarker. His body was recovered from the river on August 22. On the same day, a media outlet in the country published an open letter by the late journalist, in which some of the comments are being considered as serious allegations of creating ‘pressure’ and ‘anxiety’ directly from the interim government.โ
Bibhuranjan Sarker dies a tragic death, exposes state of press freedom
Razakar Azamโs son threatens journalist Panna, Anandabazar for revealing ISI operations
Born in 1954, Bibhuranjan began his career as a journalist in the late 1960s while still in school, working as a correspondent for the Dainik Azad.
As a student, Bibhuranjan was an active member of the Bangladesh Studentsโ Union, later serving as assistant general secretary of its central committee. He was also a member of the Communist Party of Bangladesh, but was not active in politics due to his journalism.
He later studied in Bangla at Dhaka University. He worked with some national dailies and weeklies, serving as editor of daily Matribhumi and weekly Chaltipatra, as well as executive editor of weekly Mridubhashon. He also worked for the Weekly Ekota and the daily Rupali.
During the anti-Ershad movement of the 1980s, his political columns written under the pseudonym โTarik Ibrahimโ in the weekly Jai Jai Din gained popularity. He was working as an Assistant Editor at that time.
Among his published books are Brittabandi Rajniti, Dosharoper Rajniti, Awami League Niye Asha O Ashanka, Nana Chinta Nana Mot, and Kar Cheye Ke Bhalo.
88 expat Bangladeshis condemn persecution of journalists
Meticulous design: Mahfuj Alam reveals July conspiracy, defends mobs
He also edited literary works, including Kibria Smarakgrantha Baktrita, Krishak Neta Hatem Ali Khan, and Monaem Sarker Jokhon Nirbasone.
Open letter
Bibhuranjanโs final article, titled โKhola Chithiโ, or Open Letter, was published in the opinion section of bdnews24.com on Friday, where he said it was his last op-ed. He emailed it around 9am before leaving for the office in Banasree without his phone.
In his long letter, the senior journalist wrote about the sorry state of press freedom, being tagged as a collaborator of the Awami League despite not getting any benefit in the last 16 years, financial crisis and discrimination faced by ethical journalists, no promotion or increment for four years, no royalty payment by Agami Prakashani for his two books, rejection of op-eds in different dailies, about his own and his sonโs illnesses, his daughter โfailingโ a higher-level exam as a government officer despite medical leave, and his sonโs โdifficultyโ finding a job after graduating from BUET.
Journalist Bibhuranjanโs open letter before death reveals the suffocating fear inside Bangladeshโs news industry.
โIn the media, those who hold executive responsibility live in constant fear. Any time, a phone call may come demanding the withdrawal of a report or article. One of my writings led to threats against the online section of Ajker Patrika. Similarly, Mazharul Islam Bablaโs piece also faced harassment. But what did Babla write that was so offensive? He wrote that the army sent Sheikh Hasina to Delhi in a military helicopter. And that not only police shootings, but meticulously designed militant attacks also killed people. Where is the falsehood here? Did Hasina secretly hire a helicopter to flee? If the police killed students, then who killed the police? For such a simple article, it is utterly unjust to target the newspaper.
โAltogether, my situation at the paper has become extremely fragile. The gentle acting editor, unable to bear the pressure, has even stopped speaking to me. What do I do now? Which path do I take?โ
Press freedom in Bangladesh: A hell for journalists
The aggrieved citizens noted with deep concern that leaders or influential people of some political parties favoured by the government have also become a threat to the freedom of speech and the media of people of different classes and professions in Bangladesh.
In addition, according to information received so far in the past 13 months, more than 300 journalists have been accused in various harassment cases, including murder cases. 40 journalists have been arrested. More than 300 journalists have been banned from travelling abroad. Bank accounts of more than 100 journalists have been frozen. Cases of harassment and corruption have been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Unprecedented incidents have occurred in Bangladesh, including the dismissal of more than a thousand journalists from all over the country, the cancellation of press accreditation cards of 168 journalists, the suspension, cancellation and expulsion of memberships of more than 100 journalists from press clubs across the country, including the National Press Club, and media capture. Many journalists have been forced to leave the country since August 5 last year due to insecurity.
Even cases filed against journalists from incidents a year ago are still ongoing. Some are being newly accused in old cases, the statement added.
English