ARTICLE 19, an international human rights organisation working on freedom of expression and right to information, has expressed deep concern over the police assault on journalists and lawyers on the premises of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
In a media statement on Saturday, ARTICLE 19 South Asia Regional Director Faruq Faisel said, “It is unacceptable and worrisome that police attacks on journalists and lawyers in a protected place like Supreme Court of Bangladesh. Through this attack, police violate the constitutionally guaranteed freedom for media.
“In this incident, we could see again the tendency of the police to violate people's civic and political rights. In recent times, we observe a growing tendency in Bangladesh police to behave in a more authoritarian way by making illegal detentions, abusing forces, suing, intimidating, and harassing dissent,” he said.
On Wednesday, at least 24 people, including 10 journalists, were injured after police charged batons against lawyers protesting at the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election and journalists covering the police actions.
Of the injured, ATN news journalist Javed Akhter is in critical condition and has been admitted to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
The police intervened during a commotion caused by pro-Awami-BNP lawyers at the polling station in Shaheed Shafiur Rahman Auditorium of Samiti Bhaban, where the voting of SCBA was scheduled to begin at 10am. The police also targeted the journalists who were present at the scene to cover the news.
The two-day-long election, marred by a series of violence, boycotts, and low voter turnout, ended on Thursday amid a huge number of police personnel guarding the polling station on the Supreme Court premises, read the statement.
Similarly, while performing professional duties in a protected place like the Bangladesh Secretariat, Prothom Alo journalist Rozina Islam was attacked and harassed by secretariat officials.
Nadia Sharmeen, senior reporter of Ekattor TV and former cultural secretary of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), faced attack and arson at her ancestral home. She was in Bagerhat, Ranbijoypur when miscreants attacked her ancestral house twice over the course of time.
A group of miscreants carried out the first attack on last Saturday morning. The caretaker of the house, Younus Sheikh, was injured in the attack. A case was filed with Bagerhat Sadar police station in this regard.
Enraged by this action, the miscreants attacked again early Sunday morning and set fire to the house. Unfortunately, there is no police activity even though Nadia Sharmeen and her family are receiving constant death threats.
“If we do not protect journalists; our ability to be informed and to make evidence-based decisions will be severely hampered. When journalists cannot do their work in safety; we lose an important defence against the pandemic of misinformation and disinformation. Such series of attacks on journalists ahead of national elections is very worrying,” the organisation said.
ARTICLE 19 demanded immediate and appropriate investigation and punishment against the police officers and employees involved in the incident and also urged the police to be more sensitive in the exercise of protecting citizen's civil and political rights, freedom of expression, right to protest and democratic rights.
