‘Remove Naznin Munni, or we will set fire like Prothom Alo–The Daily Star’
Several youths have threatened the authorities of private television channel Global TV Bangladesh, demanding the dismissal of its Head of News, Naznin Munni. They identified themselves as members of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
The president of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Rifat Rashid, has also acknowledged that a member of his organisation went to the office and submitted a memorandum on the matter, adding that action would be taken against him.
On 21 December, the youths went to the channel’s office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, and issued the threat, saying that if Naznin Munni was not removed from her job, they would set fire to the office like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. On the night of 18 December, the offices of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star were vandalised and set on fire in a terrorist attack.
Naznin Munni is currently working as the Head of News at Global TV Bangladesh. She joined the channel in July this year. Prior to this, she worked as an Assignment Editor at DBC News. Referring to the threats by the group of youths, Naznin Munni wrote in a Facebook post today: “7–8 people came to my office in the name of the city unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and threatened that if I do not quit my job, they will set fire to the office like Prothom Alo–The Daily Star.”
When contacted, journalist Naznin Munni told Prothom Alo that she believes the threat was part of a series of attacks on the media, aimed at forcing her removal from her job.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement led the uprising that took place in July–August last year. Later, on 28 February, a new political party, National Citizen Party (NCP), was launched through a joint initiative of this platform and the National Citizen Committee. For several months after that, the visible activities of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement were limited. However, reports of various negative incidents using the platform’s name continued to emerge. Against this backdrop, a new committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement was formed through voting on 25 June.
When contacted regarding the threat, the central president of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Rashidul Islam (Rifat Rashid), told Prothom Alo: “A member of the city committee named Prithu went to Global TV with some boys without any directive from the central committee. There, he submitted a memorandum demanding the removal of journalist Naznin Munni, describing her as an associate of fascism. We have collected the memorandum. There is no mention of arson in it.” He said a show-cause notice had been sent to the member, adding, “We do not support any attack on the media. If Naznin Munni or Global TV files a complaint with us, we will expel him.”
Asked about the incident, Naznin Munni told Prothom Alo that although the threat occurred on Sunday, 21 December, she came to know about it only after coming to the office the following day.
Describing the incident, Naznin Munni said that on the evening of 21 December she held a meeting with reporters. Around 8:00 pm, a friend came to see her, and she went with him to a restaurant in Gulshan. At around 8:30 pm, a group of seven to eight youths arrived at her office. Prior to that, they had contacted the channel’s Managing Director (MD), Ahmed Hossain, over the phone. They identified themselves as members of the metropolitan unit of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, but did not disclose the purpose of their visit during the phone call.
Naznin Munni said, “Meeting with the MD, the young men first said that the coverage of the death of Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi, the spokesperson of Inqilab Mancha, was not adequate. Then they brought up me (Naznin Munni). The young men told the MD, why have you kept Naznin Munni? She is an Awami League supporter. She cannot be retained in her job. Remove her.”
Naznin Munni said that, in response to the young men’s demands, MD Ahmed Hossain told them that Naznin Munni had been appointed after due consideration and that she had no affiliation with the Awami League.
“Each time you come, you say something different. That cannot continue. At that point, the young men said, we have made our demand and you must comply. If Naznin Munni is not removed, we will set your office on fire as well, like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star,” Naznin Munni said, quoting MD Ahmed Hossain.
Naznin Munni said the young men then handed a piece of paper to the MD and asked him to sign it, which stated a commitment to dismiss her from her job within 48 hours. The MD refused to sign the document.
She said the young men became angry and told him, “What we want will happen. Even Prothom Alo and The Daily Star could not do anything. You are nothing compared to them.”
Naznin Munni said the MD did not sign the paper and that instead one of his colleagues who was with him signed it. She said, “Regarding this threat, the office asked me to remain quiet. I was told not to come to the office for a few days. But I posted a status anyway. The management was unhappy. Still, I will not stay silent. They keep issuing threats every couple of days, which is unacceptable. Jamuna TV’s Nicole, assignment and planning editor Roksana Anjuman Nicole, was also threatened. Earlier, I was forced to leave DBC Channel in June this year due to political pressure.”
She added, “I have repeatedly said, prove whether I have any links with the Awami League. They could not find even a single instance of such involvement.”
Naznin Munni commented that she had been threatened with dismissal as part of a continuing pattern of attacks on the media. She said, “A group is trying to intimidate the media through sustained attacks. That group does not want people who can influence others to remain in the media.”
Prothom Alo contacted Global TV Bangladesh managing director Ahmed Hossain by phone for his comments on the matter. Asked about the threat that his office would be set on fire like Prothom Alo and The Daily Star if Naznin Munni was not dismissed from her job, he said he was “not willing to make any comment.”