No other place in the world has such a high concentration of universities in such a small area, says an ex-UGC chairman
12-point charter calls to protect bloggers, guarantee free speech in Bangladesh
Article 19 has floated a 12-point charter calling for a stop to abuse of law to harass Bangladeshi bloggers and measures to guarantee freedom of speech on the internet.
Published : 3 July 2015, 10:14 PM
Updated : 3 July 2015, 10:51 PM
The international organisation that has office in Bangladesh is defending and promoting the freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide.
Prof Ajay Roy, father of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy, launched the charter for ‘creating a vibrant and fearless space’ at a programme held at BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka on Friday.
Article 19 Director for Bangladesh and South Asia Tahmina Rahman said, “This charter for the bloggers takes into consideration the complications they generally face while exercising the right to expression.
“This charter strongly mentions the rights of bloggers and online activists and emphasises their protection from violence, torture and harassment.”
She said the charter also stresses on not forcing the writers and bloggers to reveal their sources and treat them equally as journalists in such case and not to make mandatory their registration with any government institution.
Physicist Ajay Roy alleged that ‘the government has a passive attitude towards the bloggers’ and added, “The government is yet to realise that they (bloggers) have become a target of the extremists.
“If they (government) had understood it three people would not have been murdered in several months.”
He mentioned that he went to the Detective Branch headquarters to inquire about the progress in Avijit murder case. “They said they identified two people. But they have not been arrested yet.”
Roy also questioned the government’s attitude towards the bloggers.
“Suppose bloggers are atheists, if being so is a crime, then they must be put on trial. If the court sentences them to death, then they would hang.
“But why would the government allow extrajudicial killings?”
The former Dhaka University teacher also said the government must take the responsibility of ensuring security of the bloggers.
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