CPJ's hazard rankings

These kinds of global rankings that transnational organisations periodically produce are somewhat on the sweeping side. They often do not capture the nuances and complexities of the situation inside a country and the ranking systems they employ to rate countries often suffer from having to compare apples and oranges.

Nevertheless, we feel that there are more reasons to share the basic concerns of the CPJ than to differ with these. Let us forget about the rankings. Whether we are the fifth most dangerous country in the world for journalists or the tenth or the hundred and tenth is not important. What is important is the fact that the working conditions for journalists in Bangladesh have become extremely hazardous.

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Who can dispute the fact that during the past decade majority of those responsible for attacks on journalists have gone unpunished. It is similarly undeniable that outside of Dhaka, the vulnerability of journalists is much greater and that the deep political divisions in the country expose newsmen to great risk. All of this contributes to the climate of fear in which many journalists operate in this country.

If the global rankings are flawed on the sweeping side, let's not be sweeping and dismissive in our reactions to the concerns raised. The government should take this opportunity to both acknowledge and put in place measures to demonstrate its commitment to making the country safe for newsmen.