Stop press repression in Bangladesh — AMF

Let’s take a rest from the Malu Fernandez controversy shall we?

Asia Media Forum expresses solidarity with Bangladesh Journalists

The Asia Media Forum (AMF) expresses grave concerns over the reported harassments, assaults and intimidation of journalists and gagging of the media in Bangladesh and denounces the repression of the journalists.

The AMF also expresses solidarity with journalists’ community in Bangladesh, and strongly demands that the journalists be allowed to discharge their professional responsibilities without any hindrance.

The AMF notes with grave concerns that the law enforcing agencies resorted to assaults of the journalists, both print and electronic, while they were covering the students protesting against the highhandedness of the army personnel and demanding lifting of Emergency that suspended fundamental rights of the citizens.

The AMF also notes that despite repeated government assurances of press freedom, the law enforcers resorted to detention, assaults, intimidation and humiliation of the media people particularly since imposition of curfew on Tuesday. Over the last few days, dozens of journalists and photo-journalists were detained, scores of others beaten up, several dozens of media workers intimidated.

The AMF also expresses concerns over the government’s overt (officially intimidating two private TV channels – Ekushey and CSB and covert attempts (telephonic instructions to the media executives by the government agencies) to gag the press.

Under theses circumstances, the AMF urges the government of Bangladesh to immediately stop repression of the journalists and gagging of the media, and thus ensure the people’s inalienable right to remain informed about whatever developments, political and otherwise, takes place in the society and state.

This statement has been issued by Kavi Chongkittavorn, Yubraj Ghimire and Milind Kokje, Core Group members of Asia Media Forum.

For more details contact : asiamediaforum@gmail.com, milindkokje@hotmail.com, Kavi@nationgroup.com, yubaraj@hotmail.com

Asia Media Forum (AMF) is a network of media practitioners from different parts of Asia, committed to issues of media freedom, human rights, social justice and democracy. It is an alliance of, by and for media professionals, who feel the need to build a platform for interaction, shared learning and interregional cooperation to promote ethical, substantive and inclusive media in the region. The members of the AMF stand for human dignity, human rights, gender equity, social justice, equitable economic progress and a participatory and democratic polity.

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