Police belligerence against journalists

It is a universally accepted fact that journalists and photojournalists will rush to cover any incident, be it political or social, on behalf of the newspaper or news agency they belong to. It is also a widely accepted norm that all sorts of cooperation ought to be extended to them so that the news can be placed in its true perspective for the common readers. True, at times of social or political violence, some harm may come their way, but that usually comes as a mere accident, and not as a result of a deliberate assault. But, in Bangladesh, we note with alarm the rising trend among the members of the law enforcing agencies to target newsmen to release their anger. The extremely vengeful nature of some members in uniform is taking a turn for the worse, especially at times when they are deployed to thwart any political programme of the opposition. They are often seen to be beating up newsmen indiscriminately with bamboo sticks or butts of rifles in a deliberate attempt to cause grievous bodily harm. While such acts are deplorable, it is equally distressing that the authorities concerned have not taken any step to end this anti-press stance of the members of the law enforcing agencies.

It is high time someone told the policemen that newsmen were not to be considered their adversary in any situation. What the newsmen present is a true picture of what happened on the day, with no malice to anyone. It is the responsibility of the media to depict the truth and they will keep on doing so, no matter how hard anyone may come down on them. The media has withstood political pressure in the past. They will do so in the future.

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