Attacks on Bangladeshi journalists show government indifference, rift in press
Analysis
By Arshad Mahmud
Special to freedomforum.org
05.30.01
Printer-friendly page
 |
| Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wazed. |
DHAKA, Bangladesh — A rash of attacks on journalists has revealed a deep rift among news organizations in Bangladesh as well as official indifference and government hostility all the way up to the country's prime minister.
Six journalists have been killed since 1996 without a final verdict in any of the deaths. And, in the first five months of 2001, at least 51 other journalists have been assaulted, attacked or shot, the Canadian Journalists for Free Expression said in a May protest message to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Hasina Wazed.
"Countless others have received threats and live in constant fear," CJFE said.
When the attack on journalist Tipu Sultan by assailants brandishing iron rods earlier this year was raised at a news conference this month, the prime minister snapped:
"You're calling them journalists. First, find out whether they've got accreditation cards. Or does he get a salary from the United News of Bangladesh?"
The following day, the United News, a privately operated news agency, issued a story stating that Sultan not only was on the regular payroll, but twice was voted best district correspondent.
Sultan, 28, lost the use of his hands in the beating and is still fighting for his life more than three months after the attack. The assault followed publication of his article critical of Jainal Hazari, Parliament member from the ruling Awami League, the prime minister's party, and the owner of a local newspaper.
The prime minister's remarks were "unfortunate and damaging," said Nirmal Sen, a columnist and president of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, contending that "they simply encourage the thugs and criminals to sharpen their attacks against journalists who are exposing their activities." He added:
"This is a terrible situation. I'm appalled by what's going on. It's especially shocking because you don't expect this from a democratically elected government."
Four days after the news conference, police charged 16 people in the killing of Shamsur Rahman, a special correspondent of The Daily Janakantha in Dhaka, who was shot last July 16.
Five of the accused are journalists, including Mizanur Rahman Tota, Jessore bureau chief of another Dhaka daily, Inquilab. The involvement of journalists in such a case illustrates a growing rift among them based on political differences.
No Bangladeshi journalist organization has strongly protested the attacks, in spite of international indignation expressed by the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists, CJFE, the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers and Reporters sans Frontieres.
"They (the Bangladesh journalists) have no moral authority to voice their protests against the attacks," said Sen. "They're now known more as political activists rather than journalists" — whereas "in our time, it was unthinkable to publicly support any political party."
Sen has watched the split of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, which once represented all journalists in the country. One faction is headed by Awami League journalists, the other by journalists favoring the Bangladesh National Party.
Sen and other news professionals believe journalists have lost credibility because of a race among them for political appointments to such jobs as press minister in Washington, London, Delhi and other capitals. Journalists also vie to purchase prime government-owned land in Dhaka and other big cities at nominal prices.
"The journalists are being targeted (for threats and bribes) because they're exposing the persons responsible for the rise of criminal activities," said Father Richard W. Timm, a veteran American missionary human rights campaigner in Bangladesh from Indiana.
An example of the fear among journalists is the police guards posted in front of the Dhaka hospital where reporter Probir Sikdar, 39, is being treated after an attack stemming from his reporting. Although he is out of medical danger for now, his right leg had to be amputated. Police said the gang attacked the reporter with machetes and guns April 20 on his way home to Faridpur, in southern Bangladesh.
Abdul Kahar, officer-in-charge of the Faridpur police, said a man arrested in connection with the attack on Sikdar said a nine-member hit squad was paid $10,000 to assassinate the journalist. Police said the man claimed the hit squad tried three times unsuccessfully to kill him after his page-one report in the March 24 Janakantha about Musa Bin Shamsher, who allegedly provided Hindu women for the Pakistani army during Bangladesh's fight for independence in 1971.
The prime minister denounced the attack on Sikdar and provided $2,000 (U.S.) for his treatment.
Bu the prime minister declined to comment on published reports that Musa's daughter was married to the son of Health Minister Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, the prime minister's first cousin.
"I don't think there'll be much progress in the case," said Serajul Islam Chowdhury, a professor of English literature at Dhaka University and a respected, impartial commentator on news media and other public issues.
The protest by Canadian journalists listed other incidents, including:
- The kidnapping and subsequent death of Nohar Ali, a correspondent for the daily Dainik Anirban, from his home in the village of Shovna on April 17 by masked men who torturing him and broke his arms and legs before abandoning him. Ali was found two days later and died six days after that in a hospital of brain damage and bleeding. The police accused the Biplobi Communist Party of being behind the killing.
- The killing of Mir Illias Hossain, editor of a local newspaper, by a similar group in January.
- A break-in and assault at the office of the daily Purbokone in the port city of Chittagong on April 19 by a group led by Mamunur Rashid Mamun, ward commissioner of the Chittagong City Corp. and an Awami League member. The thugs attacked chief sub-editor Iskander Ali Chowdhury and journalist Jalaluddin Amed Chowdhury.
- Shots fired May 3 by a gang linked to Jainal Hazari, a member of Parliament, at Shaidul Alam Imran, correspondent for the Dhaka-based daily Manavjamin and editor of the local daily Otoeb, after he wrote an article unflattering to Hazari. The shots broke the journalist's arm.
"The CJFE is shocked at the way your administration has failed to prevent such attacks on the press in Bangladesh, which gives criminals the impression that they can target journalists with impunity," said the Canadian group. "CJFE urges you to do all that is possible to curb the high incidences of attacks against the press and ensure that the basic human right of free expression is respected."
In its annual Human Rights Report on Bangladesh, the U.S. State Department reported this year that "The (Bangladesh) constitution provides for freedom of speech, expression, and the press, subject to 'reasonable restrictions' in the interest of security, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency and morality, or to prohibit defamation or incitement to an offense; however, there were numerous examples of the government limiting these rights in practice. Some government leaders encouraged violence against journalists by ruling party members."
"Attacks on journalists and newspapers, and efforts to intimidate them by government leaders, political party activists, and others frequently occurred. Such attacks by political activists are common during times of political street violence, and some journalists also were injured in police actions," the report noted.
Arshad Mahmud reports from Bangladesh for The New York Times and the South China Morning Post.
Related
Letter from Dhaka: A new executive editor's delicate challenge
Analysis Newspaper leader in Bangladesh confronts two rivals and the need to be more critical.
01.23.01
Only private TV station in Bangladesh wins a reprieve
Court delays suspension of ETV till after general election next week.
09.28.01
