Bangladeshi journalists’ lives at risk

East London newspaper London Bangla has reported that journalists are facing a severe crackdown by the state in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The report states:

“Police reports confirm that local journalist Mushfiqur Rahman Tuhin (38) of Kutubpur village at Atpara Upazila at Netrokona Zila in Bangladesh has been stabbed to death by terrorists. He was killed in his own home by an assassin early on Thursday morning the week before last. The officer in charge at Atpara police station has confirmed this news.

“Mr Tuhin had been working as a district correspondent of Weekly Oporadh Chitro, which is published from Mymenshing. It is supposed that he was killed on account of enmities he had developed with an unknown party. One reliable source said that Mushfiq had been killed for publishing anti-government news.

“This is just one recent example of journalists being harassed and killed by assassins. As a result of harassment, renowned journalist Oliullah Noman of Daily Amardesh is now in the UK, as is Mahbubur Rahman, another journalist. Former Sub-Editor Md Mahboob Ali Khansur of the Daily Amardesh is now living in UK, working as a freelance journalist in London. In 2013 he reported a news item about the Chief of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). After that news item had been reported, RAB Chief Benjir Ahmed threatened him to have him killed, so now his life is at risk.

“Media workers here in Bangladesh’s capital fear that ever greater restrictions are being imposed upon them by officials. Two Bengali daily newspapers and two television channels, all reportedly with links to the country’s opposition movement, have been shut down ‘temporarily’ over the past year.”

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