Hope appears amidst the despair
The criminal code and the criminal legal system has become a most effective tool against anti-government elements and critics of the government. Alongside political leaders and activists, journalists too have become victims of this weapon for quite a few years now. Journalist Rozina Islam has been the latest victim of this tool, and in a most despicable manner. It looks like the concerned persons of the government have found a new weapon in the form of the Official Secrets Act.
The institutions are crumbling. No one bothers about accountability. There is a self-elected parliament and we have so many more grievances. There is corruption, looting, abuse of power and more. Journalists languish behind bars for month after month for no reason. Press freedom has been suppressed to such an extent that it is now at the very bottom among South Asian countries. But amidst all this despair and hopelessness, suddenly there is a bright ray of hope.
When the oppressors step up their oppression and repression, the people are forced to step back. Sometimes when they find their backs up against the wall, even the most hapless people unite in protest. An instance in recent times is the public service quota reforms movement sparked off by the students. Then there was the safe roads movement led by even younger students who took it upon themselves to mend the state machinery. They filled us with pride. Also pushed up against the wall, students took up the anti-VAT movement in private universities.
In the face of oppression and injustice, over the past few years journalists too have been pushed backwards and now their backs too are against the wall. There is no space to move back further. That is why from the afternoon of Monday, 17 May, till 19 May as I write this piece, I notice that over the last 48 hours the entire country has erupted in protest. It is not only media persons, but all people, regardless of political orientation, who are condemning this injustice and oppression against the media. They are not just condemning the officials who harassed Rozina Islam, but also many persons, groups and coteries close to the government. There are protests, human chains, statements and speeches all over, Even the international media and organisations have taken up the issue. And all this has happened within a matter of 48 hours.
We have learnt about Rozina Islam being detained in a room of the health ministry for 5 or 6 hours, harassed and mistreated mentally and physically. The time was taken to abuse her and to instill fear in other journalists. And the huge number of police escorting Rozina to court the next day indicates just how scared the government is of free media. The government's fear is our hope. We are now uniting in this hope.
Rather than just transferring the officials involved in harassing, abusing, assaulting and filing false charges against Rozina Islam, they should be suspended and departmental action taken against them. Secondly, there should be recommendations to the government to carry out an inquiry under the Commission of Enquiry Act 1956 into the allegations of incompetence, mismanagement, irregularities, corruption and looting that has been alleged.
Over 12,000 persons have died of coronavirus and about 800,000 have been affected. There are many more outside of these official figures. Rozina Islam's recent reports have revealed the shortcomings in tacking the pandemic and the lack of coordination. Corruption and pilferage within the health ministry has been responsible to a great extent for this situation, the reports indicate. If the government wants to unleash its vengeance against Rozina Islam for this, the government will have to pay the price. It will become the greatest enemy of the people.
* Shahdeen Malik is a lawyer of the Supreme Court and teacher of law at Gono University.
* This column has appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir