Press Bodies Urge Bangladesh’s Interim Govt To Reinstate Sacked Journalists

Last Updated:December 28, 2024, 21:28 IST

FCCA urged the Samay TV’s management to take back the five journalists and allow them to do what they have been doing faithfully for years.

Bangladesh’s interim government head Muhammad Yunus (AP file photo)

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia (FCCSA), The Press Club of India, and The Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents on Saturday voiced their concern after five senior Bangladeshi TV journalists were fired after a prominent student- coordinator of the anti-discrimination students’ movement reportedly demanded their removal.

In its statement, FCCSA expressed its strong concern against the move and urged the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh to uphold the freedom of press.

“We wish to remind the Interim Government in Bangladesh that it has been promising to uphold the principles of press freedom. The leader’s visit to a TV channel’s newsroom demanding favourable coverage is nothing but news censorship, and policing of information through the threat of mob action," it said.

What’s the issue?

As per the statement, Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement’s leader Hasnat Abdullaha had visited the promoters of one of the largest TV channels of Bangladesh, Samay TV on December 17, and urged the removal of the veteran journalists. They were serving as the Section Heads of Samay TV for more than a decade.

The sacked journalists are Chief Input Editor Omar Faroque, Chief Output Editor Ariful Sajjad, Digital Head Kamal Shahriar, Assistant Special Presenter Debashish Ray, and Senior Reporter Bulbul Reza.

After Abdullaha’s visit, Samay TV’s management took the decision to sack the journalists on December 22.

Abdullah took to the social media and said that he had visited the Samay TV’s investors to “protest." He claimed that the channel was “distorting" his remarks and “campaigning for a fallen political party," the FCCSA release said.

While speaking to German news channel DW, one of the sacked journalists has said that the organisation had asked them to resign citing “risk" to the organisation– a clear indication of threat from the mob.

FCCSA further urged the Samay TV’s management to take back the five journalists and allow them to do what they have been doing faithfully for years.

“We call upon Chief Adviser Prof Mohammad Yunus to uphold the rule of law," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the formation of an interim government which Yunus now heads, particularly over a spate of attacks on minorities, including the Hindu community, in the last few months.

Bangladesh’s deposed PM Sheikh Hasina has been living in exile in India since Aug 5 when she fled the country amid the student-led protests over a controversial job quota system that toppled her 16-year regime.

News world Press Bodies Urge Bangladesh’s Interim Govt To Reinstate Sacked Journalists