The Editors' Council has expressed deep concern and strong protest over the arrest and imprisonment of Md Rezanur Islam, the acting editor of the daily Agrajatra Pratidin, in connection with the publication of a news report. The council also demanded his immediate release.
The protest and demand were issued on Saturday (20 June) in a joint statement by the President of the Editors' Council, Nurul Kabir and General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud.
Rezanur Islam was sent to jail in a case filed over a report published regarding Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives State Minister Mir Shahe Alam.
In the statement, the Editors' Council noted that the incident is completely contradictory to the pledges on media freedom and the right to freedom of expression declared in the BNP's election manifesto and its 31-point state reform programme.
The council emphasised that if any individual feels aggrieved by a news report, there are existing legal and institutional mechanisms available for redress.
However, in this case, one journalist was arrested and imprisoned following a case filed by another journalist.
The statement further noted that similar trends of filing cases, arresting and harassing journalists over news reports were observed during the previous Awami League regime, and the current incident appears to be a repetition of that troubling pattern.
The Editors' Council stated that the trend of filing criminal cases, arresting, and imprisoning journalists over their work is a matter of deep concern for independent journalism and the right to freedom of expression.
The council added that the incident in Bogura will have a negative impact on the independence of newspapers and media workers.
Against the backdrop of Bangladesh's current 152nd position in the World Press Freedom Index, such incidents will further accelerate the decline of media freedom in the country and damage Bangladesh's image in the international arena.
In the statement, the Editors' Council also called for ensuring the proper use of existing legal and institutional frameworks, particularly through the Press Council, rather than through arrests and imprisonment.