Pressure on bdnews24.com to remove report is unethical: Gazipur Press Club

Gazipur Press Club has condemned as “unethical” the pressure on bdnews24.com to remove old reports.

The journalists protested against and expressed concern over such action by influential people in a meeting at the club’s auditorium on Thursday.

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

bdnews24.com, Bangladesh's first internet newspaper, also covered the news of acquittal of Iqbal and his family members of the charges.

But after dozens of legal notices from a number of districts to have the reports removed, a person named Kazi Nasir Uddin Babul who identified himself as a friend of Iqbal filed a plea in a Barishal court to start a Tk 2 billion defamation suit against bdnews24.com.   

“Such pressure to take down the reports is unethical,” said Gazipur Press Club President Amzad Hossain, calling for “proper” action against interference in freedom of media.

He also called for government steps to ensure journalists’ security.

The club’s General Secretary Abdur Rahim Sarker said bdnews24.com tries its best to ensure transparency, neutrality and objectivity while publishing a report, whether it is investigative or regular story, like other organisations in the mainstream media.

“Such naked interference to delete published report in the country’s media is condemnable. I condemn and protest against this,” he added.