Bangladesh Journalists targeted with death threats

BY shahriar khan| IN Media Freedom | 27/05/2004

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Sharier Khan

OneWorld South Asia  

DHAKA, May 26 (OneWorld) - Members of an Islamist vigilante group in Bangladesh have issued death threats to journalists reporting on their activities, ratifying a just-released report of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that includes this country among the "World`s Worst Places to be a Journalist."

On Tuesday, 17 journalists in the far northern district of Dinajpur received death threats from the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), a youth front of the Al Qaeda funded Harqat-ul-Jihad. The JMJB killed over 10 leftist extremists, locally known as Sarbaharas, with the help of the police and apparently harassed scores of villagers before press reports about their activities compelled them to lie low.

Many of the targeted journalists had received similar threats via letters in February. Recalls the Dinajpur correspondent of a leading daily Prothom Alo, Asadullah Sarkar, "They told us we were spared in February but nothing would save us now. They termed us as evil and said we should put down our pens or our wives would become widows."

To emphasize their point, members of the JMJB armed with bamboo poles and hockey sticks staged a showdown, reportedly under police escort, in the northern city of Rajshahi, reiterating the death threats. The group came down heavily on journalists in two meetings in the city and presented senior police officials with memoranda protesting against "fabricated reports by a section of the media and several political parties."

On the day of the protests, leader of the JMJB mob Lutfar Rahman thundered, "We have pledged to eliminate outlaws. We will stay as long as the outlaws are here. But reporters are falsely accusing us of killing, torture and oppression. They do not know that their pen might stop someday."

Instead of condemning the threats, the Superintendent of Police in Rajshahi, Masud Mia, told the JMJB, "We (police) hail you for your help in eliminating the Sarbaharas. We must cooperate with you in the future so people can live without fear."

The lack of police and administration support for journalists has been emphasized in the CPJ report that says confrontational politics, corruption and the courts` apathy towards journalists` cases increase the risks facing media persons. "It takes real courage to be a journalist in Bangladesh," remarks CPJ executive director Ann Cooper in a commentary in the CPJ special report released this week.

The report, titled "Culture of Violence" and authored by CPJ Asia program coordinator Abi Wright, highlights the plight of the press on the basis of findings by a CJP mission that visited Bangladesh in March. Without specifying numbers, the study gives case histories of murders and attacks on journalists for telling the truth. It adds that extremist left groups frequently threaten journalists with death and courts delay processing cases filed by reporters.

"Violence is common, and the perpetrators are rarely brought to justice," maintains the CPJ in a press release. Firoz Chowdhury, a photographer who has been beaten several times by political activists, is quoted as complaining, "We (journalists) are always targeted. The government covers for them (perpetrators), and there is no punishment."

The country`s highly polarized political climate complicates the situation, causing divisions between journalists as well, feels CPJ. Observes Cooper, "The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) points at press freedom abuses committed during the Awami League`s (AL) tenure in office, but not at a single incident since the BNP took power in 2001. Meanwhile, the AL`s document would have the public believe that threats and violence against journalists began only in 2001, under BNP rule."

She accuses the state media of being extremely biased, pointing out that, "After sitting through a sometimes contentious meeting between the CPJ and officials from the Bangladeshi Information Ministry, a reporter for the government`s mouthpiece news agency wrote about the information minister`s claim that, `We do highly respect the right of expression and free flow of information.`"

She adds, "Missing from the report was any mention of CPJ`s detailed research presented to the minister, documenting that killings, beatings, threats and harassment of the media are commonplace in Bangladesh, regardless of which party is in power."

Agrees journalist Saleem Samad, who accuses the rightwing ruling BNP-Jamaat alliance government of harassment. "The pro-secular and independent press is facing the wrath of the pro-right and pro-Islamist coalition government led by the BNP. Repressive measures are spontaneous when journalists expose bad governance," he reveals.

Samad feels the government`s "acute paranoia" that everyone is conspiring against it has contributed to the intensity of violence against journalists. He blames gangs with links to the BNP for most of the attacks on members of his ilk.

The government on its part accuses the media of not fulfilling its duties. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia told a recent state level meeting, "Many newspapers are not playing the right and responsible role." While Law Minister Moudud Ahmed claims "The media in Bangladesh is absolutely free, but journalists sometimes abuse it."

The CPJ evidently does not agree with Ahmed`s assessment and neither do domestic groups. A statement from the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists charges that, "The government has been interfering with freedom of press in recent times. Cases are being lodged against journalists to harass them. We demand legal protection."

A report by rights group Odhikar reveals that five journalists were killed and 281 injured in criminal attacks during January 2001 to December 2003. In addition, 864 pressmen were harassed and 54 of them were arrested during the period.