(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced outrage over the beatings meted out to nine photographers with national daily newspapers by members of Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence (NSI) on 7 July 2005 in Dhaka. All of the photographers were injured, three of them seriously. “This use of violence is a scandalous and inexcusable violation of press freedom,” […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced outrage over the beatings meted out to nine photographers with national daily newspapers by members of Bangladesh’s National Security Intelligence (NSI) on 7 July 2005 in Dhaka. All of the photographers were injured, three of them seriously.
“This use of violence is a scandalous and inexcusable violation of press freedom,” RSF said. “How can intelligence agents assume the right to beat up journalists with complete impunity, while police look on with amusement? We urge the Bangladeshi authorities to restore order in their security services, which have clearly forgotten what their duties are supposed to be.”
The injured photographers include Mir Ahmed Miru of “Janakantha”, Anisur Rahman of “Daily Star”, Wahid Hassan Raja of “Bhorer Kagoj”, A.K.M. Musa of “Sangram”, Masud Parvez Milon of “Financial Express”, Hasanuzzaman Tarun, Enamul Kabir and Sheikh Mamun of “Janakantha”, and Mohammad Sharif of “Naya Digonto”.
The violence began when Kabir tried to take photographs of graffiti on the NSI building’s exterior, which denounced government corruption. Intelligence agents dragged him inside the building and beat him. Learning of this, the other newspaper photographers rushed to NSI headquarters, where they too were beaten by NSI staff.
Passers-by, rickshaw drivers and street vendors tried to help the photographers while police, who had arrived in two vans, looked on without intervening. “We asked the police to help us, but they took no notice and just laughed,” said Rahman, who was one of three photographers to receive serious injuries. The other two were Raja and Miru. All three were hospitalised.
