Bangladesh

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 1 January 2002 Media Watch press release: On Monday 31 December 2001, an unidentified person threatened to kill journalist Sakir Ahmed of Dainik Ittefaq over the phone, for writing a series of reports on the movement of luxury coaches in the city. The anonymous caller carried out the […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 4 December 2001 Media Watch press release: Bomb attack on journalist’s home On the night of 4 December 2001, a group of assailants hurled three crude bombs at the residence of Shafik Rehman, eminent journalist and editor of the Jai Jai Din, in the Eskaton Garden region. Rehman’s […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is a 29 November 2001 RSF press release: BANGLADESH At least 40 journalists attacked or threatened by the Begum Khaleda Zia government’s supporters BCDJC and RSF notice that the Prime Minister is not respecting her commitment taken during the electoral campaign In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 24 November 2001 Media Watch press release: Writer, columnist arrested 24 November 2001 On 23 November 2001, after being detained for twenty hours, police confirmed that Sahrior Kabir, an eminent Bangladeshi writer, columnist and filmmaker, was arrested under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code on charges of […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, RSF asked for journalist Shaharier Kabir’s immediate release. He was detained for “possessing information which could jeopardise the country’s stability.” RSF expressed concern over the government’s use of an emergency law to imprison the journalist, who was only reporting on the situation of hundreds […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 27 October 2001 Media Watch press release: Journalists continue to be the target of post-election violence in Bangladesh. After the parliamentary election held on 1 October 2001, several incidents occurred around the country. In some parts of the country, journalists became the target of terrorist attacks and threats. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an RSF press release: At least eighteen journalists attacked by BNP and Jamat-e Islami activists The BCDJC and RSF ask the Bangladeshi prime minister to fight impunity Since the large electoral victory of the alliance, which was built around the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), opposition journalists have been victims of […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a Media Watch media release: Post-election violence continues: Journalists still targeted in some parts of Bangladesh. 1. In Chittagong, known terrorist Bidhan Barua threatened the daily Prothom Alo bureau office over the telephone. On Sunday 14 October, the daily Prothom Alo published a report about the terrorist activities of […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a Media Watch press release: Journalists threatened Leaders of the Chattra Shibir, student wing of the fundamentalist group Jamat-e Islami, have threatened journalists in an open statement. They said, “You, the journalists, have written enough against us. Now it is our time. Stop writing.” This open threat was delivered […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a Media Watch press release: Journalists are the target of post-election violence in Bangladesh After the parliamentary election held on 1 October 2001, several incidents occurred around the country. In some parts of the country, journalists became the target of terrorist attacks and threats. 1. Swapan Basu, staff reporter […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 26 September 2001 Media Watch press release: Today, eight newsmen, including the local press club secretary, were injured in the northern district town of Pabna in an attack launched by terrorists in the Mondutosh area, Bhangura upazilla. A witness said a gang of terrorists, allegedly led by Parbhangura […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 9 August 2001 Media Watch press release: Journalist attacked Bulu Sharif, the Magura (district town of south-western Bangladesh) correspondent for the daily Jugantor, was seriously injured when a group of thugs linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) attacked him on the night of 7 August. The journalist […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the caretaker government chief, Latifur Rahman, RSF called for the release of Mahmud Musa, freelance journalist and writer, detained for possessing “banned” publications. RSF welcomes the caretaker government’s refutation of the local authorities’ description of the publications found by police in the journalist’s home as “subversive,” but regrets that […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the head of the caretaker government, Latifur Rahman, RSF urged the authorities to arrest and punish the Islamic militants who tried to kill journalist Abdul Kalam Mahmud Azad, who works in Bagha. “It is not the first time that fundamentalists have attacked journalists in this part of the country. […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to the head of the caretaker government, Latifur Rahman, RSF asked the police to guarantee the security of journalists working in Gaurnadi. “If parts of the country were off limits to journalists during the general elections, this would be a serious infringement of press freedom,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The following is a 30 July 2001 Media Watch press release: JOURNALISTS FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES During the previous government’s rule, which ended a five-year term on 15 July 2001, journalists in Gouranadi, in the Barisal District (southern part of Bangladesh), were often tortured by militants, mainly belonging to the Awami League […]