(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Bangladeshi Interior Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, RSF expressed concern over threats and pressure by leaders of Islamic movements against the independent media. “It is your duty to call to order political leaders of your ruling majority who violently threaten journalists,” said Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general. “You should not be […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Bangladeshi Interior Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, RSF expressed concern over threats and pressure by leaders of Islamic movements against the independent media. “It is your duty to call to order political leaders of your ruling majority who violently threaten journalists,” said Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general. “You should not be surprised by articles in the international press on the Islamisation of Bangladesh when fundamentalist groups are allowed to openly threaten the independent press,” he added. The organisation urged the minister to reinforce security for those journalists and media who request protection.
According to information gathered by RSF, the Islamic movement Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon organised a demonstration on 29 March 2002 outside the Dhaka head office of the newspaper “Dainik Jugantor”. Demonstrators protested the daily’s publication of a story by writer Shelina Hossain. The leaders of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, who want the establishment of an Islamic republic, said that the text had “injured” Muslims and that newspapers should prevent publication of such writings. “Dainik Jugantor”‘s editor explained that the text was work of fiction and not an article by the editorial staff. They also apologised for the text having “hurt believers’ feelings”. The author noted that her intention had in no way been to insult Muslims. The short story describes the rape of a young girl in a village.
On 23 March, Maulana Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, a member of parliament from Jamaat-e-Islami (a fundamentalist party in the coalition government), made violent remarks about journalists who “confuse Muslims with Islamists.” He had demanded that “journalists’ blood be checked to see if they are Muslims or not.”
RSF notes that on 5 February, a bystander was killed and several others injured in the explosion of firebombs thrown by Muslim fundamentalists protesting the presence of journalist Shahriar Kabir in the south-eastern town of Chittagong. Over 300 demonstrators gathered outside the town’s press club where Kabir was addressing dozens of journalists, intellectuals and human rights activists. Kabir was released on bail from Dhaka prison on 20 January after two months of detention, but is still charged with “sedition”. The government accuses him of gathering information on violent acts by Muslims against the Hindu minority (see IFEX alerts of 8 February, 23 and 4 January 2002).
