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Journalists on the run

Such threats must end
18 May 2006
• EDITORIAL
It sounds incredible that when people in power are grabbing every opportunity to talk about press freedom and human rights violation, journalists continue to be hounded by their hired goons. In a latest development, three newsmen of Kushtia had to run away and find refuse in the capital to escape the wrath of a local ruling party lawmaker. These correspondents of some reputa-ble national dailies and a satellite television channel of the country have been given death threat by the lackeys of the lawmaker for exposing their corruption and crimes that included extortion, grabbing public work contracts and public and private property, among others. They are known to have brought the allegations in a joint statement at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday.

It would be saying the least that there have been many incidents of atrocity on working journalists in recent past. We observe a spate of arrogance of power in the shape of influential people putting out threats on journalists from what used to be innuendoes. In most of the cases criminals having connections with people in power were involved in the vendetta missions against the newsmen. No wonder the tendency has fed on the frequent media bashing by the ministers and MPs whenever the pen of the journalists became too strong to be challenged in any other way.

When journalists are maimed or killed at the instruction of vested groups for writing reports on their misdeeds it speaks of outright cowardice and moral bankruptcy. We strongly urge upon the relevant authorities to start a proper investigation in to the allegations of the Kushtia newsmen. We also feel it is time the lawmaker in question came out with a statement on the charges brought against him.

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