Warrant vexes journalist leaders

Journalist leaders yesterday were taken aback by the issuance of an arrest warrant against an editor in a defamation case, as the country's parliament scrapped this provision in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) five years ago.

Issuing a warrant for the arrest of an editor in a defamation suit was inappropriate and a matter of concern for the journalist community, they said.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

On February 2, 2011, the Jatiya Sangsad passed a bill scrapping the CrPC provision for directly issuing arrest warrant against journalists, writers, and others for writing or saying anything defamatory.

The amendment to the CrPC, however, introduced a provision for issuing summons on them.

A court in Narayanganj yesterday issued an arrest warrant against The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam after a lawyer brought a libel charge for publishing reports based on information given by the Taskforce Interrogation Cell (TFIC) during the 2007-2008 caretaker government rule.

“I think the issuance of the arrest warrant was inappropriate,” said Golam Sarwar, president of the Editors' Council and editor of the daily Samakal.

Veteran journalist Abed Khan viewed that issuing such an arrest warrant can in no way go with the freedom of speech or freedom of opinion.

“Not only as an editor, as a journalist, I think using the law in such a way and harassing him [Anam] so desperately is unacceptable. There is no need to do this,” he said.

Mahfuz Anam is a freedom fighter and the role of his newspaper, The Daily Star, on the issue of the Liberation War and the trial of war criminals has been praiseworthy, Abed Khan said.

“Issuing an arrest warrant this way or harassing or putting abnormal pressure [on Mahfuz Anam] is not proper for the pro-liberation forces,” he added.

Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, former president of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), said when the law was amended, the journalist community welcomed the move.

As per the amended law, a court should summon, if necessary, and an editor or a journalist will appear before the court. This was the main spirit of the act, he said.

“But in this case of issuing arrest warrant [against Mahfuz Anam], how the court or the judge concerned made the decision has left us confused,” he said.

“We think all decisions regarding the cases related to the media should be taken in line with the spirit of the law,” Manjurul added.

Zafar Wazed, acting president of the BFUJ, said issuing arrest warrant against an editor in such a way is not logical and decent.

“It is more like taking a kind of stance against journalists and newspapers. Such a stance could be a matter of concern for the journalist community,” he said.

Jatiya Press Club President Shafiqur Rahman said, “At this moment, I have no clear conception of the law. So I can't make a proper comment on this matter. However, I think [the court] should deal with the matter carefully.”

Qamrul Islam Chowdhury, general secretary of the Jatiya Press Club, said the issuance of arrest warrant was a deviation from the law.

The main purpose of the law is to stop harassment of journalists, but this move is a contradiction to it, he said, adding, “Since he [Mahfuz Anam] is an editor, the court should have considered the matter and paid respect to the law.”

Razu Ahmed, general secretary of Dhaka Reporters Unity, said any kind of political pressure and misuse of law on the media go against freedom of press.

“Harassing any media person on political grounds is not acceptable,” he viewed.

HUMAN CHAIN IN THAKURGAON

Protesting the filing of cases against The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, a cross-section of people in Thakurgaon formed a human chain in front of the Cooperative Market in the town yesterday afternoon.

The hour-long human chain, formed under the banner of Sangbadpatra Pathak Forum, was followed by a discussion at the same venue.

Protesting wholesale cases against the editor, the speakers said such a move is very harmful for democracy and also for establishing truth in the society.

 They said a quarter in the ruling party started filing cases against Mahfuz Anam instead of appreciating him for admitting lapse in his editorial judgement in publishing a few reports during the 2007-08 caretaker government rule without being able to verify them independently.

The role of The Daily Star is remarkable in upholding the spirit of the Liberation War, they added.

They also protested all incidents of harassment of journalists in the country in recent days.