Scribes to stay away from work on Mar 11

Journalists of different media groups will stay off work for 24 hours from 6:00am on March 11 to demand justice for journalist couple Sagar Swawar and Meherun Runi, a union leader said on Monday.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 11 Feb 2013, 04:55 AM
Updated : 11 Feb 2013, 05:09 AM

Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, leader of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), made the announcement from a mass rally in front of the National Press Club.

“On that day, no journalist will attend work. Further plans of protest will be announced the following day from a rally in front of the Press Club,” he said.

The mass rally of the journalists kicked off around noon in front of the National Press Club. Two factions of the BFUJ, the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), the Press Club and Dhaka Reporters’ Unity organised the rally.

They also demand safety for the journalists and the freedom of the press.

Chowdhury called on all journalists of online portals, newspapers, television and radio to join the ‘no work’ protest.

The couple was murdered in February last year in their rented apartment in the capital.

But authorities have failed to secure a breakthrough in the case so far despite several arrests in the year gone by.

The demonstrating journalists had observed a token hunger strike in front of the Press Club on Dec 23 on the same issue. They ‘laid siege’ to the Home Ministry on Jan 1 and had announced Monday’s programme from there.

Chowdhury also demanded justice for all other slain journalists.

Police had closed the road in front of the Press Club since 10am due to the rally.