Bangladesh

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 27 October 1999 letter to Bangladeshi Home Affairs Minister Mohammed Nasim, RSF protested the attacks carried out by policemen and political activists against at least fifteen journalists on duty. RSF asked him “to punish those responsible for the attacks and to ask riot police and political parties to respect the right […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply disturbed by the latest brutal assault on photojournalists committed by the Dhaka police. On Friday 22 October 1999, riot police were dispatched to subdue a demonstration held in the capital by Islamic activists. The police turned their batons on two newspaper photographers who were documenting their treatment of the protesters. […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The office of a daily was attacked during a demonstration by the main opposition political party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), held on the evening of Monday 30 August 1999. At least thirty people, including fourteen employees of the “Daily Janakantha”, were injured, two of them critically when dozens of gunshots were […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – Unknown terrorists have threatened to blow up the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Dhaka office. On 25 August 1999, an unidentified man contacted the BBC Dhaka office by telephone and ordered the staff to stop broadcasting news on recent developments in the conflict between India and Bangladesh. He threatened that, if his order […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In an 18 August 1999 letter to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, RSF protested the issuing of arrest warrants against three journalists. RSF pointed out that “in a document dated 14 July 1992, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights emphasised that ‘detention as punishment for the expression of an opinion is one […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – Religious extremists identifying themselves as Talebans (followers of the Islamic extremist group which rules Afghanistan) reportedly threatened to kill sculptor Shamim Sikder. A letter signed by the commander of the Taleban Bahini stated that Shamim Sikder, an associate professor of the Department of Sculpture of the Institute of the Fine Arts (IFA) […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – In Bangladesh, journalists, especially photojournalists, have again become the targets of the police. During the general strike, held all over the country on 11 May 1999, at least thirteen journalists were injured when police attacked them. The strike was called by the country’s main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The Bangladesh Press Council has introduced a twenty-two-clause revised code of conduct for journalists, newspapers and news agencies prohibiting any campaign against the liberation war or communal harmony. “The spirit and ideals of the independence and the liberation war must be upheld and there could be no campaigns against the spirit,” states […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF is protesting attacks carried out against several journalists in Bangladesh this month. According to RSF’s information, during the three-day nationwide strike called by mainstream opposition parties from 23 to 25 February 1999, at least six journalists were assaulted. On 24 February, Abdus Samad Jewel, a photographer with “Dainik Janakantha”, and Shorab Alam, […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – According to a “Daily Star” report, a political debate focusing on the upcoming municipal election, originally scheduled to have been televised on 11 February 1999, was abruptly cancelled due to a last minute intervention by the Ministry of Information. The report states that the current affairs programme AEI SOMOY was scheduled to […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – The Bangladeshi Home Ministry has ordered law enforcement agencies to ensure the full protection of professional journalists by all means possible. **Updates IFEX alert of 11 February 1999** A letter from the ministry, issued to all the heads of law enforcement agencies on 13 February, said: “please ensure the safety and protection, […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – Once again in Bangladesh, newspaper offices and journalists have become the target of political activists. Leading opposition parties (Bangladesh Nationalist Party, BNP, Jatyo Party, JP, Jamat-e-Islami and Islami Okkyo Jote) called a three day national general strike from 9 to 11 February 1999. During this strike period, two newspaper offices were attacked, […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF’s information, on 2 February 1999, Monir Hossain, a reporter with the daily “Dainik Sathkirar Chitra” based in Sathkira, was arrested by policemen after his newspaper reported on illegal trade by gangs across the India-Bangladesh border. According to reports, it seems that the journalist was arrested after “a fake warrant” was […]

(RSF/IFEX) – According to RSF’s information, on 2 February 1999, Monir Hossain, a reporter with the daily “Dainik Sathkirar Chitra” based in Sathkira, was arrested by policemen after his newspaper reported on illegal trade by gangs across the India-Bangladesh border. According to reports, it seems that the journalist was arrested after “a fake warrant” was […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – Leading Bangladeshi poet Shamsur Rahman escaped a murder attempt on the evening of 18 January 1999. The attempt on his life was made by a new, lesser known Bangladeshi Islamic fundamentalist group called Harkatul Jihad. Police arrested three people on the same day and recovered a pipe gun and an axe which […]

(Media Watch/IFEX) – A newspaper has reported that Bangladeshi journalists working in the southern part of the country have received death threats from an underground armed political extremist group. According to the report, the group distributed a leaflet accusing journalists of working in collusion with the government and police. The leaflet blamed “a group of […]