'Investigative journalism cannot be suppressed'

There are all sorts of obstacles to publishing information. After the Digital Security Act, now the Official Secrets Act has been used. Does this indicate an effort to suppress investigative journalism?

Journalists always face various risks and obstacles. Cases and assaults are nothing new. Many have even been killed in carrying out their duties. Globally journalists are working in an adverse environment. There are various laws in the country to obstruct journalistic work. But there is no specific law to protect journalists. The Digital Security Act has created an environment of fear in the journalism sector. The Official Secrets Act is contradictory to the Right to Information Act. This law must be repealed too.

However, all this will not be able to suppress investigative journalism. No matter what obstacles there are, the investigative mindset of journalists will always bring out the truth. Investigative journalism couldn’t be suppressed in the past, and will not be suppressed now either.

Various allegations are being leveled against journalists in their efforts to collect information. Is this a display of power to threaten journalists?

The media publishes information which people do not know about. Journalists resort to various strategies, methods and means to collect information. When journalists go to the various offices in the secretariat, the ministers and the secretaries are aware they have come to collect news. If any secret information of the ministers and bureaucrats is even published, there are laws to protect them. There should be similar laws to protect journalists. There are certain officials in the administration who are involved in corruption and always want to conceal information. They will face problems if news or irregularities and corruption is revealed. That is why they are never cooperative.

When a journalist is detained for six hours and harassed at the centre of the administration, the secretariat, what work environment or security can be expected for journalists?

It was grossly unjust to detain and harass Rozina Islam for almost six hours in a room of the health ministry. This is a most unfortunate and alarming incident. I feel certain officials intentionally misbehaved with her as she had angered many of them by publishing several reports on corruption of the health ministry. However, I would hope to see this as an isolated incident. We hope that this does not have any effect on the work environment of journalists.

Centering on the Rozina Islam incident, all sorts of videos and personal phone conversations have been making rounds on the social media. Do you see this as a move to create confusion and influence the trial process?

We do not know the details of Rozina’s detention and harassment. The trial process cannot be influenced by edited video clips. We respect the law and I believe Rozina will receive justice from the court.

Ruling party leaders and ministers are issuing contradictory statements. Why do you think so?

Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country last year, the ministers have been making all sorts of different statements. This has been confusing. There seems to be a lack of coordination within the government. Problems arise if anyone talks too much about the state of the virus transmission or about vaccines. In the case of Rozina, rather than talking too much, they should resolve the issue. The government and the media should not be placed in confrontation with each other. An accurate, neutral and fair inquiry into the matter should be conducted.

Officials of the health ministry have been accused of harassment and abuse. Yet they are included in the inquiry committee. The journalist community is rejecting this committee, but the ministry is not budging. What do you say about this?

An inquiry committee cannot include those involved in the incident. We have been saying this from the very beginning. The committee should drop officials of the health ministry and have officials of the law ministry or any other ministry. It must have representatives of the journalist community and other professionals so that the incident is properly investigated. And action must be taken against the officials of the health ministry who were involved in harassing Rozina.