Free thinking under serious threat

The news from Savar had been published in Prothom Alo online edition. That’s why it didn’t catch my attention at first. Later, I searched for the news and read it.  

There were no mistakes in the news. The confusion regarding the photo and quotation in the Facebook post was quickly removed by Prothom Alo. And it was notified adding a correction with the online report.

Picking up the journalist from his home and sending him to jail even after that has created an environment of fear.

Especially, journalists who work in the field will fear to collect news. Filing cases against journalist Samsuzzaman under the Digital Security Act in this connection and naming editor of the newspaper Matiur Rahman as an ‘accused’ in the case is a matter of concern.

Bangladesh has two different images before the world. Many are praising Bangladesh’s economic progress; on the other hand they are expressing concern over the human rights condition and media’s freedom being hampered.

There are always some over enthusiast people inside the administration who overdo everything they are told to do.

The uproar there has been going on outside of the country regarding the case against the Prothom Alo journalist, won’t be favourable for the government.

This will make the world think free thinking is under serious threat in Bangladesh. We hope for the law and order enforcement agencies to be more controlled and cautious about law enforcement.

These sort of incidents are smearing government’s image. The usual rule of arresting someone is to do it with an arrest warrant. This wasn’t followed in the case of Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman.

Those of us who write on different topics and speak at meetings-seminars will get scared as well. There’ll be no more harassment cases of this sort and Samsuzzaman will get justice, that’s the outcome for which we hope.

* Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain is a former election commissioner.