DRU asks foreign ministry to withdraw order on shadowing journalists travelling abroad

Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to immediately withdraw an order directing Bangladesh’s foreign missions to run surveillance on the journalists while they travel abroad.

The largest association of reporters in Bangladesh expressed grave concern over the order as it believes "such a directive would curtail media freedom, journalists’ free movement as well as expression".

DRU President Sakhawat Hossain Badsha and General Secretary Mursalin Nomani, in a statement on Friday, said the directive is “an insult to the whole journalist community and it creates a fear factor”.

They feared “misuse” of such directive, which would eventually shrink journalists’ space for carrying out professional duties.

They said there are legal provisions to take action if any journalist is found involved in any crime or anti-state activities.

The foreign ministry has instructed all the foreign missions to monitor the activities of the Bangladeshi journalists travelling abroad and report back to Dhaka.

The External Publicity Wing also sent the instruction to the media on Wednesday.

It said the decision had been taken on the recommendations of the parliamentary standing committee on the foreign affairs.

The 20th meeting of the parliamentary watchdog viewed that “any Bangladeshi journalist travelling should be monitored and accordingly will have to be reported back to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ascertain whether their activities are against the interest of the country”.

“The parliamentary standing committee has expressed its concern over the 'harmful activities' of some Bangladeshi journalists abroad which send out wrong information on Bangladesh to the international arena”.

The foreign ministry also instructed missions to "take up the matter seriously so that they can identify untoward activities by any Bangladeshi journalist, whenever travelling to the respective host countries."

“If anybody is involvement in such activities that goes against the interest of the country and the image of the country is tarnished, he/she must be identified, and their negative activities must be reported back to the MoFA immediately”.

The foreign ministry, however, did not clarify what type of negative activities journalists carry out abroad.

But, following the parliamentary watchdog meeting, it was reported that the issue came up following recent visits of Bangladeshi journalists to Pakistan at the invitation of Islamabad.

Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971. But Islamabad continues to interfere in the internal affairs of Bangladesh by repeatedly expressing concerns over the ongoing war crimes trial.

The BNP, the main opposition party outside parliament, also criticised the government’s decision on Friday.