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Published : 18 Aug 2015, 12:56 PM
In a release on Monday, the global media organisation to promote press freedom upbraided Bangladesh’s legal system.
It’s Asia Program Research Associate Sumit Galhotra said, “Jailing journalists for publishing threats made against them further undermines confidence in Bangladesh's legal system.”
After being threatened for his Facebook posts, journalist Sikdar had tried to file a general diary at a police station in Dhaka highlighting his insecurity.
On Aug 10, Sikdar talked about the police's refusal to register the complaint in his Facebook posting and blamed LGRD Minister Mosharoff Hossain for the threat to his life.
Sikdar was moved to Faridpur around Sunday midnight after he was arrested in Dhaka in the evening. The case against him was lodged at Faridpur Kotwali Police Station by then.
A local court on Monday sent the journalist to prison.
"We call on authorities to immediately release journalist Probir Sikdar and investigate the threats against him," Galhotra said.
The Facebook post, titled ‘Those who are a threat to my life and will be responsible for my death’, read:
“I am clearly saying that the people named below will be responsible for my life being at risk or my death.
1. LGRD Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, MP
2. Razakar Nula Moosa alias Dr Moosa bin Shamser
3. Death-row war criminal Bachchu Razakar alias Mawlana Abul Kalam Azad
And their supporters.”
While Probir Sikdar hails from Faridpur, Mosharraf represents Faridpur in Parliament and plaintiff of the case Swapan Kumar Pal is the adviser to a Puja committee in the district.
CPJ also said they had mailed to the minister for his views on the arrest but that they did not get any response.
It quoted the minister’s reaction to bdnews24.com, "Tell me who on earth will not seek legal action if such an accusation is made. I have to protect myself, defend myself."
The minister also said that if 'someone on his behalf' had sought legal redress, the action was justified. "Or else it would be like accepting his (Sikdar's) charges. God forbid, but if suddenly he died, I would be in the dock as prime accused."
The move against Sikdar was made under Section 57 of the law which criminalises ‘publishing fake, obscene or defaming information in electronic form’:
“If any person deliberately publishes or transmits or causes to be published or transmitted in the website or in electronic form any material which is fake and obscene or its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it, or causes to deteriorate or creates possibility to deteriorate law and order, prejudice the image of the State or person or causes to hurt or may hurt religious belief or instigate against any person or organisation, then this activity of his will be regarded as an offence."
Offence under this provision of the ICT Act is punishable by at least seven years in prison and 14 years imprisonment at the most. Fine can be as high as Tk 10 million.
However, CPJ in its release said the section has “often been used against journalists.”
“Following a February visit to the country, CPJ noted journalists have been under heightened pressure from authorities when reporting critically on government functioning.”
It said the “harassment of journalists happens as bloggers in the country face death threats from Islamist groups.”
The press freedom campaigners went on to refer to the killings of four bloggers in the past six months and the police’s reluctance to provide protection to the last victim, Niloy Neel, murdered at his apartment on Aug 7.
The blogger in a Facebook post a few days before his death said the law enforcers refused to accept his complaint about being followed by strange men. Police, after the killing, said they were unaware of such a request.
