Attack on journalists continues

The reign of terror originated in an expose-type report filed by Monjur to Jugantor on the plunder by BNP cadres of some 100 maund of hilsha fries Jatka, the fishing of which is forbidden by law. They did not rest content with merely applying the third-degree method on the correspondent, he was even pressured to sign a statement denying his abduction and torture on the further pain of losing his job at the college of which MP Shahidul Alam is the head of the governing body. The journalists' protests were bulldozed by BNP cadres allegedly with police in the tow. They had to flee the upazila in the face of grave threats to their lives and limbs.

The ham-handed treatment, maiming and murder of journalists have become commonplace occurrences during the BNP-led alliance government's rule. Whenever there has been the spilling of beans of the corrupt and vested interest groups by newsmen, in discharge of their professional duties, from which the government of the day could actually gain much by way of information gathering, the journalists have come under attack, sometimes lethally.

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The government's vociferous claims to allowing the journalists maximum press freedom are in tatters when one looks at the track-record of abysmal failures to protect the scribes against the reprisals they face because of unearthing the instances of foul-play.

As a matter of fact, intolerance of investigative journalistic work has been proportionate to the rise of corruption and malpractice by the influential quarters. Lawmakers who are supposed to be setting examples in upholding respect for law turn out to be the worst violators of law just to keep their support base well-oiled through distribution of illegal favours.

The act of wanton terrorism at Baufal, somewhat reminiscent of the Joynal Hazari infamy arguably impacting on the AL electoral fate the last time over, must be deemed as a warning signal for the present government.

The time is here for the government, with a year and a quarter to go before the next general election, to decide which way it should go. Will the government take lesson from what look like being sure signs of a collapse from within?