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Press Freedoms and
Journalism in Bangladesh
Written by Mr. Ataur
Rahman
General Secretary
Bangladesh Journalists
rights' Forum-BJRF |
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Journalism became a most
risky profession in
Bangladesh. The professional
rights and freedom of
journalists are being curbed
frequently now either by
laws or by other restraints
imposed by the government.
The risks are on increase
with arrest, torture and
even death for their news
reports which reflect social
realities.
According to newspapers and
journalists’ organizations,
2 journalists (one in Khulna
and one in Dhaka) were
killed in 2004 in
Bangladesh. Mr. Manik Saha,
a prominent journalist in
southern region of
Bangladesh, was killed by
the miscreants in January 14
2004. Freelance journalists
Nabile Ahmmed (27) was
killed in Dhaka on March 07,
2004 by some miscreants. A
total of 30 journalists were
injured, 29 were attacked,
60 more threatened and three
were arrested in the first
three months of this year
(2004). Terrorist attacks in
the different parts of the
country are rampant. 327
newsmen were repressed or
attacked by different
quarters in 2003. In the
same year 53 journalists
were attacked by the ruling
party cadres. Among them 30
were injured. Despite these
risks, more and more
qualified and competent
youths are joining the
profession of journalism,
with the conviction that
journalism is a noble
profession. Simultaneously,
big companies in the country
are investing large some of
money in media sector.
Within the last four years
the print media has been
enormously upgraded in line
with the growing demand of
the readers. Electronic
media are also flourishing
in the country. Besides the
state-owned television,
three private televisions
are in the air now.
Another 3 or four companies
is trying to get licenses to
install private TV stations.
The authority of the closed
down Ekushey Television (ETV)
is also trying to get
license from the govt.
54 journalists who lost
their jobs from state-owned
news agency- BSS are yet to
get job. After the general
election in October 2001,
the new alliance government
terminated the services of
these 54 journalists. 300
other journalists who lost
their jobs from different
newspapers in Dhaka are
still now unemployed.
According to the statistics
there are 7500 journalists
working in different
newspapers and news agencies
in Bangladesh. Among them
2500 are full-time
journalists. There are 25
journalists’ organizations
in Dhaka. The Bangladesh
Journalists Rights Forum (BJRF)
is a national organization
for journalists in the
country attempting to
organize journalists in 64
Districts. A total of 18
journalists organizations,
including 10 district
affiliates are currently
working with BJRF.
Working conditions of
journalists are not good at
all. Although the Fifth Wage
Board Award was announced in
October 1997, most of the
newspapers are still now
reluctant to implement it.
Even the Newspaper Employees
(Condition and Services)
Act, 1974 is formulated; the
professional journalists are
working without wages and in
extremely adverse
conditions. The division in
the main journalists’ union
weakened the struggle
against the irregularities.
The Government advertisement
policies are also hindering
the development of newspaper
industries. Newspapers,
which publish news about
corruption or misdeeds of
the government, find
themselves without
advertisements, thus making
it difficult to continue
publication. Following are
some specific cases of
violation of press freedom:
Mass Media and Laws
According to the
Ministry of Information,
2175 newspapers and
periodicals, including 306
national and regional
dailies, are being published
in the country.
Additionally, two news
agencies- Bangladesh Sangbad
Sangtha (BSS), a state-owned
national news agency, and
the privately owned national
news agency- the United News
of Bangladesh (UNB) are
operating in the country. It
may be mentioned that there
are no newspapers either
dailies or weeklies in the
public sector. At present,
Bangladesh also has a
state-owned television and
three satellite television
stations in the private
sector. The media in
Bangladesh face restrictive
laws enacted right from 1876
to 1991 which restrain
freedom of expression. These
laws control private media,
news agencies, radio,
television, theatre,
audio-video materials, VCR
rental and video copying,
cinema, advertising, and
telecommunication. Article
39 of the Constitution of
Bangladesh guarantees
freedom of expression, but
does not contain an absolute
guarantee. Article 39 itself
contains a restriction:
“Freedom of expression is
guaranteed subject to any
reasonable restriction
imposed by the laws of the
national security, friendly
relation with foreign states
public order decency or
morality or in relation to
contempt of court and
defamation”. Journalists
investigating cases of
corruption face immense
obstacles while on the job.
The Official Secrets Act,
1980 gives government
representatives the right to
prevent access to official
information, thus blocking
access to vital information
from government sources.
Journalists have been
constantly complaining that
the police are
discriminatory while
applying this law. During
the past few years
journalists’ organizations
and leaders of journalists’
community urged the
government to stop
harassment of journalists.
Action Plan of BJRF:
The Bangladesh
Journalists Rights Forum (BJRF)
organized seminars and
workshops on different
issues in 2003. The BJRF
also organized a national
seminar at the National
Press Club, Dhaka, in
January 2004 where speakers
addressed on the issue of
risks and prospects of
journalism in Bangladesh.
They urged the government to
formulate a Special
Protection Act to ensure
professional rights and
safety of journalists. They
also stressed the need for
greater coordination in the
journalists’ community.
Secretary General of BJRF
Ataur Rahman in his keynote
address urged unity among
the journalists’
organizations to uphold
rights of journalists.
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