Police service association’s protest provides moral support to corrupt officials: NOAB
Bangladesh Police Service Association’s (BPSA) protest following the news reports of accumulation of unusual amounts of wealth by several former and serving police officials provided moral support to the corrupt officials, thinks the newspaper owners association (NOAB).
The newspaper owners association expects cooperation of the police force in the efforts of the media workers to implement the government’s policy against corruption in the future.
NOAB president and a member of parliament (MP) AK Azad and vice-president ASM Shahidullah Khan said this in a statement on Monday.
The statement further said several media outlets recently published and aired reports about abnormal amounts of assets of several former and serving police officials of both higher and lower ranks, which have become much-talked-about issues. Expressing their concern about this, the police service association has written a letter to the editors of all media outlets in the country, which was later published in the form of news reports in the media. NOAB thinks this protest has provided moral support to the corrupt officials.
A section of the police service association’s protest letter requested to “refrain from publishing such confusing reports in the interest of public safety and public order. We wholeheartedly request to exercise more caution and follow journalistic principles properly in publishing any kind of report about Bangladesh Police force in future.”
Regarding this, NOAB thinks the media publishes assessments of the good deeds of the police in the form of reports. At the same time, the media professionally investigates and discloses information of acquiring wealth through abuse of power, which is not consistent with known sources of income, while serving in a responsible position in the government. If there is any mistake in the reports, the relevant media outlet is responsible for that. Anyone can approach the Press Council by following the proper rules and regulations regarding the news reports.
Instead of that the media has been threatened in the form of mutual blaming through protest and requests to maintain greater vigilance in the future before publishing any report about the police. NOAB considers this is contrary to the independent media and unbiased practices of journalism.
NOAB concluded its statement saying that the police service association’s letter has further tarnished their image and provided moral support to the corrupt officials.