Freedom of Opinion and Expression The Print and Electronic Media: 2009 June 2011

The following incidents have been taken from documentation compiled by Odhikar, after scanning 12 daily newspapers every day.

2009
The supporters of Gias Uddin, a Member of Parliament representing Gaforgaon, Mymensingh, attacked and severely injured Abdullah Al-Amin Biplob, a district correspondent of the daily Shamokal of the said area on April 13, 2009, in consequence of a news he published. Biplob s hands and legs were broken. He was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital in critical condition the same day. After the incident, the MP threatened all journalists of the area saying I am the MP of Gaforgaon, nothing can be written against me in the next five years. If you do, you will face serious consequences . On September 1, 2009, in reaction to a report published in the daily Amar Desh against the Awami League MP of Chuadanga, Solayman Huq Joardar and his brother Pouroshava Mayor Reazul Islam, the activists of Chattra League and Jubo League attacked and ransacked the Janata Store owned by Ariful Islam Dalim, Chudanga representative of the daily Amar Desh. The activists then set fire to the store using petrol and burnt copies of Amar Desh. In the evening, the activists of Chattra League and Jubo League went to Dalim s house and assaulted its inhabitants, including his wife and children and ransacked and looted valuables. In relation to the same incident, the members of the Chattra League and Jubo League also attacked the business enterprise of Rajib Ahmed Kochi, the daily Janakantha representative and the home of Shah Alam, the daily Prothom Alo representative in Chuadanga. On the same day, a clash took place between the BNP and Awami League activists. A case was filed in relation to the altercation and the names of Ariful Islam Dalim and Shah Alam, the representatives of Amar Desh and Prothom Alo, were tagged into the case as accused persons. Kazi Jesin, a well known journalist and a talk show presenter on Bangla Vision, a private television channel, has alleged that she received threats over her cell phone and email. She subsequently filed a General Diary at the Mohammadpur Police Station in this connection. The persons making the threats have been demanding that her show Point Of Order be taken off the air. Point of Order is a television talk show where Kazi Jesin raises critical questions and concerns conducive to create awareness about human rights and constitutional rights of the people of Bangladesh. It should also be mentioned here that Jesin also received death threats several months ago. At 10.00 am on October 22, 2009, members of RAB-10 (Rapid Action Battalion) raided the house of Mohammad Salauddin at 167/1 South Jatrabari of Jatrabari, Dhaka to arrest a narcotics trader. During the raid, the RAB-10 members without reason arrested F M Masum (28), a journalist of the daily
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New Age. The RAB members tortured Masum on several occasions at the RAB office till 10.00 pm that night. On December 16, 2009, four journalists were wounded when attacked by Chhatra League activists over the publication of a report on extortion in Bishwanath, Sylhet. The attackers forcibly took three cameras from the journalists. The injured journalists were - Tofazzul Hossain Bhandari, Bureau Chief of the local daily Manchitra; photo journalist Saleh Ahmed Shanto; Ashique Ali and Fazal Khan; reporters of the daily Jugobheri and Mukto Khabor respectively. On December 18, 2009, Dhunot Upazila representative of the daily Jugantor and Prothom Alo, Rafiqul Alam and Masud Rana, were physically assaulted in Bogra and confined in the political party office by the activists of Chhatra League and Jubo League, over publishing a report.

2010
On February 14, 2010, Touhodi Hasan, the Kushtia representative of the Daily Prothom Alo and Sharif Biswash, the Kushtia representative of Desh TV were beaten in front of the police by the Chattra League of Kushtia Government College unit, when they had gone to the scene to report the shutting down of the admission process by the members of the Chattra League. On March 1, 2010, Monirul Islam, the Sharsha representative of the Daily Lokshamaj of Jessore was beaten with a hammer and severely injured by ten to 12 persons which included Rashed, Monir, Samaul, Hamaj and Yunus who were all members of the Jubo League. The Daily Lokshamaj had published a series of articles disclosing the criminal activities and trade that went on in Sharsha. It was in this connection that Monirul Islam Monir was initially threatened over the phone and subsequently attacked. The supporters of the Awami League-backed Chattra League attacked two journalists in the Dhaka University campus. On April 4, 2010, a group of activists of Awami League-backed Chattra League led by Sajid Jahan Saikot, President of S M Hall unit of Chattra League beat up Fayez Ahmed, reporter of the weekly Budhbar and Anis Raihan, reporter of Shaptahik in front of the Public Library on the Dhaka University Campus. Sayyed Nur, Farid Ullah and several other Chattra League activists led by the President of the Naikhongchori Chattra League, Taslim Iqbal, attacked Abul Bashar Noyon, the Naikhongchori, Bandarban representative of the Dailies Amardesh and Karnafuli. The Chattra League members also ransacked Noyon s office located at Media Palace adjacent to the Union Parishad, where Noyon was working when the attack took place. The attack was related to the publication of a certain news item on May 1, 2010. On May 21, 2010, the President of the Gazipur Pouro Awami League, Advocate Waziuddin Miah and several others attacked Sohrab Hossain, a physically disabled editor of the local Daily Mukto Khobor over the publication of a certain news item. On February 23, 2010, Nurul Kabir, the Editor of New Age received death
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threats from an unidentified person. M Zahid, Rajshahi University correspondent of the Daily Star was beaten on September 1, 2010, by Awami League-backed Chattra League leader Dulal alias Raihan Dulal due to publishing reports on the activities of Chattra League in the University. Dulal also threatened with a pistol the other journalists who were present at the scene and tried to stop the incident. Raja Mia, a representative of the local daily paper, Bir Chattogram Mancho at Satkania, had been taken to Satkania Police Station by Sub Inspector (SI) Shrikanta over news published in the daily. He was hit with fists and dragged by his collar to the police station. Raja Mia told Odhikar that the Officer in-charge (OC) of Satkania Police Station had become annoyed when his report was published in the newspaper against illegal activities of the local police. The OC instructed SI Shrikanto to take action in this regard.

2011
On February 13, 2011, Billal Hossain Robin, staff reporter of the daily Manabzamin and member of Narayanganj Press Club, was hurt with a pistol by Awami League activist Nazrul Islam and his associates at Siddhirganj under Narayanganj district, over a report published in the newspaper. The criminals threatened to kill him. Police registered a case in this connection after five hours when Robin went to Siddhirganj Police Station. He had to wait five hours at the police station for unknown reasons. Meanwhile, after seven hours of filing the case, an extortion case was filed by the attackers against eight persons, including Robin. Four out of the eight accused were the local correspondents of different dailies. A youth named Tajul Islam filed a case with Siddhirganj Police Station against Robin and others on allegations of extortion, snatching and beating, giving the same time of occurrence when journalist Robin was attacked by the criminals. On March 19, 2011 a senior reporter of Channel I and the editor and publisher of the local Narayanganj paper- The Daily Juger Chinta , Morshalin Babla was allegedly threatened by Nasim Osman, a Parliament Member from the Jatiya Party, elected from Narayanganj-5 constituency and his brother Shamim Osman, former MP and a leader of Awami League. Journalist Morshalin Babla informed Odhikar in writing, that Nasim Osman and Shamim Osman threatened him for publishing reports about their misdeeds in The Daily Juger Chinta. On April 5, 2011, supporters of local Awami League parliamentarian Zahid Malek Swapon attacked a Hindu temple and ransacked the houses of the local Hindu community at Ukiara Bazar under Manikganj district. The attackers ransacked the Durga temple and allegedly set fire to four houses and a shop belonging to members of the Hindu. Hearing this, Manikganj representative of a private TV channel, Bangla Vision, and the daily Shomokal, Biplob Chokroborty; and private channel ATN Bangla representative Abul Kalam Azad rushed to the spot. Awami League activists attacked and wounded them allegedly under the instructions of Manikganj District Awami League Religious Affairs Secretary Israfil Hossain. The attackers also took away their cell phones and cameras.
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On April 29, 2011 assailants attacked and inflicted brutal physical harm on F M Abdur Razzak (45) a former Secretary of the Paikgachha Press Club in Khulna and the editor of the fortnightly Gono Michhil, who is also a volunteer for the Asian Human Rights Commission, and his brother Badiur Rahman (22), a shrimp farmer at Paikgachha, over a land dispute at Godaipur of Paikgachha in Khunla. The victims were admitted to the Paikgachha Health Complex, Khulna Medical College Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital. When their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to the Trauma Centre at Dhaka on April 30, 2011.According to Razzak some 30 people led by Moklesur Rahman Kajal, brother of one major Mustafizur Rahman of the Bogra Cantonment, had attacked them near the Paikgachha bus stand at about 10.00 pm on April 29. On May 06 the wife of Abdur Razzak, Rahima Akter, as plaintiff filed a case with Paikgacha police station accusing 38 persons. The case filed was number- 8-6/5/11. Police arrested the accused Abdur Rouf Sarder, Afsar Sarder, Zillah Sarder and Nurul Islam Chana. Presently all accused are out on bail except Nurul Islam Chana. On June 3, 2011 at Shilaidaho Kuthibari under Kumarkhali union of Kushtia, a group of criminals attacked and injured Tauhidi Hasan, the local correspondent of Prothom Alo, Sheikh Belal Hossain, the local correspondent of RTV, Jahirul Islam, the local correspondent of Ekushey TV and Ahmed Sajeeb, the cameraman from Ekushey TV. Severely injured Prothom Alo Kushtia correspondent Tauhidi Hasan was admitted to hospital. The journalists alleged that the Education and Cultural Secretary of the Kushtia Municipalty Awami League, Ali Hossain and people loyal to him, attacked the journalists because they had begun to investigate the irregularities and discrepancies in four projects including one for the maintenance work at Rabindranath Tagore s Kuthi Bari residence. On June 3, 2011 at Shilaidaho Kuthibari under Kumarkhali union of Kushtia, a group of criminals attacked and injured Tauhidi Hasan, the local correspondent of Prothom Alo, Sheikh Belal Hossain, the local correspondent of RTV, Jahirul Islam, the local correspondent of Ekushey TV and Ahmed Sajeeb, the cameraman from Ekushey TV. Severely injured Prothom Alo Kushtia correspondent Tauhidi Hasan was admitted to hospital. The journalists alleged that the Education and Cultural Secretary of the Kushtia Municipalty Awami League, Ali Hossain and people loyal to him, attacked the journalists because they had begun to investigate the irregularities and discrepancies in four projects including one for the maintenance work at Rabindranath Tagore s Kuthi Bari residence.

Mahmudur Rahman and Amar Desh The publication of the Bangla-language daily Amar Desh was closed as the government cancelled the declaration of the newspaper on June 1, 2010. The police sealed off the press of Amar Desh at about 11.00 pm that night. At about 4am on June 2, 2010 Mahmudur Rahman, the acting Editor of Amar Desh, was arrested by armed police from the newspaper office. Police resorted to baton charging the protesting journalists in order to arrest him. A case was filed accusing over 100 journalists and other office staff on the allegation of beating Sub Inspector Md. Shafiqul and obstruction of justice. Apart from Mahmudur Rahman, the accused included; Sanjeeb Chowdhury, Abdal Ahmed, Zahed Chowdhury and Alauddin Arif.
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Earlier on June 1, 2010 the publisher of the newspaper, Md. Hashmat Ali, was allegedly picked up from his residence by the members of the National Security Intelligence (NSI). It was alleged that while there, he signed some blank papers. The papers signed by Md. Hashmat Ali, now mention that although he has handed over his shares of the newspaper sometime back to Mahmudur Rahman, the latter was still publishing his name as the publisher of the paper; and for this he was also sued for publishing certain reports along with Mahmudur Rahman. However, an application had already been submitted by Mahmudur Rahman to the Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka, to include his name as the publisher of Amar Desh, as part of the handing-over process. Two cases were filed against against Mahmudur Rahman on that date under the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station. On June 6, a third case was filed against him, at the Kotwali Police Station. He was charged for obstructing government officials from carrying out their functions - while he was already in custody. Furthermore, following a report, published in the daily Amar Desh on April 21, 2010 under the headline Chamber Judge Manei Sarkarer Pokkhe Stay - where the role of the Attorney General's Office was criticised; a notice of Contempt of Court was brought by two lawyers of the Supreme Court. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, on August 20, 2010, passed a verdict in the contempt of court case to protect the image of the Judiciary, and sentenced Mahmudur Rahman, to six months in prison and fined him Taka one hundred thousand (USD1 1449.27). This punishment was unique as the relevant law, the Contempt of Court Act of 1926, does not provide such sentences, but the Supreme Court invoked inherent jurisdiction of the Court, under Article 108 of the Constitution. The Court also sentenced Oliullah Noman, staff reporter of the Daily Amar Desh, to one month imprisonment for preparing the report and fined him Taka ten thousand (USD 144.92). The Court also fined the publisher of the Daily Amar Desh, Hashmat Ali Taka ten thousand (USD 144.92). Furthermore, to date, the judgement of the Appellate Division has not been written, which prevents Mahmudur Rahman from filing a Review Application against this judgement. His coaccused has already served his sentence of one month s imprisonment. On June 8, 2010, Mahmudur Rahman said in the Court that, I have been tortured. I wanted to eat when I was hungry. But the police did not provide any food or even a drop of water. This government wants to kill me. I might not be able to survive. He was again produced before the court on June 9, 2010 and was directed to be sent to Tejgaon Police Station under a three day remand however, he was taken to the Cantonment Police Station. On June 12, 2010, after being in remand for three days in relation to case No. 2 (6) 2010, under the Tejgaon Police Station, Mahmudur Rahman, was brought before the Court of Metropolitan Magistrate Kamrunnahar Rumi. He informed the Court that on the night of 10 June, 2010 at around 1.45 am, five men entered into his cell and forcefully removed his clothes. They then proceeded to jab him very hard with their elbows in his chest and back, whereupon he lost consciousness. When he regained his senses, he found himself lying in the room of the Second Officer of the Cantonment Police Station. He was sent to jail as the investigating officer at the Tejgaon Police Station did not appeal for further remand. Mahmuder Rahman was released on bail on March 17 2011 from the Gazipur District Court after nine and a half months in prison. Channel 1: closes down
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A private television channel, Channel 1 was shut down by the government on April 27, 2010. A three-member team of the Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission led by S M Shahiduzzaman, Director (Legal and Licensing) went to the Channel 1 office at Uday Tower in Gulshan and switched off its transmission on the ground that it used rented broadcasting equipment. The Post and Telecommunications Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju said, that Channel 1 had mortgaged its broadcasting equipment although the telecommunications law prohibited the transfer of frequency ownership and broadcasting equipment. As the owners failed to pay back the loan, its broadcasting equipment had been auctioned. Meanwhile Channel 1 authority claimed that the bank auctioned its equipment and a company won the bid, although the auction winner had not yet made the payment. Thus the channel still owned the equipment. The channel had more than 400 staff, including journalists, technicians and administrative officials. Censorship of Websites The government imposed a rigid censorship in March 2009 on the browsing of some websites, including youtube.com, for Bangladeshi nationals. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission prohibited the visiting of some of websites on the pretext of protecting national security . However, the government did not officially specify what kind of content and information should be forbidden in the name of national security . It has been assumed that the government wanted to impose a ban on the citizen s use of audio-visual information relating to the BDR mutiny and its consequences. If this is true, and if the audio-visual information contains very sensitive matter, which could cause threats to the country s security, then why was it only restricted for the people in Bangladesh? The Government s justification regarding this matter, that Bangladeshi citizens can emerge as a threat to national security, is not acceptable. What about foreign entities? The government has failed to give a public explanation regarding the censorship imposed in the name of national security . The government of Bangladesh blocked access to Facebook on May 29, 2010. The decision came after the arrest of Mahbub Alam Rodin (30) for uploading satiric images of some leading politicians, including the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. A team of the RAB-10 detained Rodin at Old Dhaka. Moreover, the government was embarrassed when the report of the Anisuzzaman Inquiry Commission regarding the BDR mutiny was put up on Facebook, where the names of some high ranking government officials were mentioned. Protests over this block came from people from many different backgrounds including editors of some national dailies. The block was eventually lifted on June 06, 2010.

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