University journalists protest against ‘unethical’ pressure on bdnews24.com

Associations of journalists based in three universities have protested against unethical pressure on bdnews24.com to take down reports.

They are Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Press Club, Jahangirnagar University Journalists Association and Stamford University Journalists Forum.

In statements condemning the incident, the associations on Thursday called for government steps to prevent attempts to obstruct independent journalism in Bangladesh.

“The media... is facing unethical pressure, threats of cases or harassment from a so-called quarter with vested interest,” SUST Press Club President Jubayer Mahmud and General Secretary Masud Al Raji said.

“It has become a big obstacle to independent journalism,” they said.  

An “influential quarter” has recently pressurised bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi and three news editors “unlawfully” to take down some old reports by threatening cases in legal notices from a number of districts, the statement said.

“Absurd threats and cases are an attempt to choke the media. The unethical pressure on the editors of bdnews24.com is against freedom of journalism,” said JU Journalists Forum President Md Asaduzzaman and General Secretary Mahbub Alam.

Stamford University Journalists Forum President Hasan Wali and General Akram Hossain demanded action against those threatening bdnews24.com with cases.

Khalidi on Wednesday spoke extensively at a press conference on Wednesday on “bizarre” attempts to muffle journalism by the influential people.

bdnews24.com said it had published news on court proceedings and orders in cases filed against freedom fighter HBM Iqbal, chairman of Premier Group and a former MP, and members of his family in the past one and a half decades as had other mainstream media.

bdnews24.com also covered the news of acquittal of Iqbal and his family members of the charges.

But it received 36 legal notices from 24 districts as of Tuesday. The language, statements and demands in the notices, sent under different names, are identical.

The main point of the legal notices is that the reports on Iqbal and his family should be removed as all of them have been acquitted in the cases—a demand that bdnews24.com finds “illogical”, “unreasonable” and “absurd”

“They claim they are now facing problems with their business endeavours because the reports are still on the internet. As such, they want us to take down the old reports,” Khalidi said.

bdnews24.com said at the press conference that the senders are threatening to file defamation cases seeking tens of billions of takas in compensation in the legal notices. The numbers, if added up, amount to Tk 500 billion.