Journalists in peril
Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
On May 26, when three journalists of the daily Prothom Alo were photographing demonstrations by the female students of Dhaka Women's Polytechnic in the capital's Agargaon area, they were severely injured by the beastly attack of some police persons headed by an assistant commissioner of police. The manner in which the police attacked the journalists was uncivilised. Police also snatched away mobile phone sets of the victims in which the torture of the police was recorded. What a barbaric incident! Our police have once again shown their heroism on the street! On May 28, some miscreants attacked the journalists of bdnews24.com in the city's Mohakhali area. The local criminals swooped on the newsmen on the ground floor of the media house and stabbed them indiscriminately. Then again the law enforcers charged truncheons on some newsmen and lawyers when they were listening to the sad story of a helpless teenaged girl who was sexually assaulted by two sub-inspectors in the police club on May 30. It seems to us that Bangladesh is turning into a dangerous place for the journalists. Now the newsmen are being humiliated on the street by the law enforcers while the office of news agency is being flooded with blood. They are not even safe in their home. The tragic death of Sagar-Runi shocked everyone of the country. Police have failed to trace the killers. It is a matter of great dissatisfaction that the incumbent government is not serious about protecting the dignity as well as the life and property of the journalists. Recently, the state minister for home advised journalists to keep a 'safe distance' from police while collecting news. By saying so does he mean that the journalists themselves are responsible for their humiliation? Where are we living?!
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