Transparency International Bangladesh has raised concerns following the apprehension of 21 employees from a media outlet’s premises on Saturday night, denouncing the act as an attempt to instill fear within the press community.
Army personnel entered the offices of online news portal Bangladesh Times in Dhaka’s Nikunja around 9:30 pm on Saturday and detained the staff, transferring them to an army camp.
By approximately 11:30 pm, a live video on the Bangladesh Times Facebook page revealed that the 21 employees had been released and returned to their workplace.
Speaking at an event held at TIB’s office in the MIDAS Centre in Dhanmondi the following day, TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman labeled the incident at the Bangladesh Times office as a troubling development.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman strongly objected to the incident, emphasizing that detaining employees from an establishment without specific allegations is entirely unacceptable. He highlighted that such actions set a negative precedent for the freedom of journalism in Bangladesh.
He further emphasized that there are appropriate legal and institutional channels to address objections to news reports, rather than resorting to authoritarian actions that instill fear in the media community.
Referring to recent incidents of attacks and vandalism at media outlets like The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, Dr. Iftekharuzzaman questioned the role of law enforcement agencies, including the army, in such matters.
He urged all institutions, including the army, to refrain from engaging in such activities and emphasized the importance of finding solutions to alleviate the mounting pressure on free media in Bangladesh.
Additionally, the Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media (BJIM) released a statement expressing grave concerns over the Bangladesh Times office incident. They called for a transparent explanation from authorities and emphasized the need to safeguard journalists’ safety and editorial independence from intimidation or interference.
In response to the incident, the Inter-Services Public Relations clarified that the journalists from Bangladesh Times were invited for a discussion on several news-related issues, which were subsequently resolved.
