18 journalists attacked by BNP and Jamaat-e Islami activists in Bangladesh

18 journalists attacked by BNP and Jamaat-e Islami activists in Bangladesh

BCDJC and RSF ask the Bangladesh Prime Minister to do something about this post-election violence.

Since the large electoral victory of the alliance which was built around the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, opposition journalists have been victims of BNP and Jamaat-e Islami ( an Islamist party, member of the new majority) supporters` violence.

In this context, the Bangladesh Centre for Developement, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC) and Reporters without Borders (RSF) ask the Prime Minister to take vigorous measures in order to stop these violence. Both organisations working to defend press freedom, called upon Begum Khaleda Zia to commit herself to a resolute fight against this."Whatever their political allegiance or whoever their protectors are, people responsible for serious breaches of the freedom of statement have to be identified, judged and punished", BCDJC and RSF directors declared.

"The recent violence does not bode well of your government policy towards the opposition press" added the two organisations that recently decided to work together against impunity and defend press freedom in Bangladesh. Finally, RSF and BCDJC ask the Prime minister to call to order the leaders of the alliance parties after they threatened opposition media. "Every excessive word or hate speech must be punished."

According to the information gathered by RSF and the BCDJC, at least 18 journalists were attacked or threatened since the electoral victory on 1st October 2001.

On 3 October, a group of miscreants attacked the houses of three journalists working in Bhola (south of the country). They first went to Jugantor correspondent Amitabah Apu`s house. They looted, fired, and threw a hand made bomb. The journalists was not at home. They also went to Prothom Alo correspondent Farid Hossain Babul`s house where they also looted and fired. Finally, they assaulted the house of Habibur Rahman, editor of local newspaper Banglar Kantha. They disconnected the phone lines.

At the same time, in Jamalpur district (north of the country), a terrorist group claiming to be BNP members ordered Lutfur Rahman, correspondent with Muktakantha newspaper, and Shafiqul Islam, journalist with Dainik Manavzamin, to leave the area if they did not want to suffer serious reprisals. The two reporters published articles about violence during the poll campaign.

On 6 October 2001 Chakor Malitha, correspondent with the Prothom Alo, an independent daily, in Jahangirnagar university (near Dhaka) was attacked by activists of the student wing of the BNP, Jatiyatabadi Chattra Dal (JCD). A group of students pursued the journalist in the University. While he was trying to take a bus to escape to the centre of Dhaka, Chakor Malitha was beaten with metal bars and sticks. Seriously injured, he was taken to a hospital where doctors had to give him 25 stitches. According to some of the journalist’s colleagues, activists thought he had to "pay" for Prothom Alo coverage of Jatiyatabadi Chattra Dal’s activities. Jahidul Islam, correspondent of daily Jugantor in the same university, also received death threats from BNP supporters.

The same week, militants from the student wing of the Jamaat-e Islami threatened with death Abul Kashem Khan, president of Mirzapur press club (north of capital Dhaka). On 6 October, the journalist lodged a complaint and asked the police to insure his protection. According to the reporter, undamentalists reproached him for his critical articles.

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