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The Star
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
World press freedom day: 266 journalists face criminal cases in Bangladesh since Aug 5 last year
DHAKA: The repression of journalists has taken a new form after August 5, 2024. Fears for physical safety and instances of judicial harassment are still profoundly visible - only the actors have changed. The ghosts of the Digital Security Act hounding journalists have been replaced by more sinister murder and assault charges. Many are bearing the brunt of retaliation for the Awami League government's brutal response to the student-led July uprising. Over the past few months, as journalists have been booked left and right in cases related to the deadly violence during the uprising, police sub-inspectors and regular criminal courts must deliberate on a question that even media experts struggle to answer: to what extent can journalism incite murder? "At the former prime minister's press conference on July 26, some top journalists encouraged her to repress the student movement even harder. It is clear that they were not acting as journalists, but rather as political activists," said Kamal Ahmed, a journalist who had headed the Media Reform Commission. By July 26, scores of citizens, including children, had been killed indiscriminately by the law enforcers. But the answer to whether journalism can be linked to murder becomes more tangled the further one descends the hierarchical ladder, the deeper one goes into the districts and sub-districts where local correspondents work under duress. To get a clear picture, The Daily Star compiled figures from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and information from the newspaper's own network of local correspondents. This newspaper has found that at least 266 journalists have been implicated in various cases related to the events of July and August last year. The highest number of those cases has been filed in Dhaka - 88. Sylhet and Chattogram come second and third, respectively, with 39 and 36 journalists prosecuted. Savar, Narayanganj, Kushtia, Brahmanbaria and Bogura saw between ten and 20 journalists prosecuted in each of these districts. Nearly 50 media organisations, from top national newspapers and television stations to local publications, have been impacted by these cases. The Daily Star also attempted to find overt political links that the journalists might have had with the Awami League, which could suggest that they may have been targeted with cases for reasons other than journalism. There were a few clear-cut cases. For example, in Narayanganj, two district correspondents were spotted in videos accompanying deposed lawmaker Shamim Osman during a rally where his followers fired on student protesters. One of the journalists was seen in a video carrying a firearm in each hand as the violence ensued. But overall, only 18 per cent of the journalists prosecuted - about 50 - had overt political stripes or benefitted from the AL regime. The majority were the victims of retaliatory cases. For example, in Sylhet, Monwar Jahan Chowdhury, a UK expatriate and UK correspondent of Daily Shomoyer Alo, was accused in a case even though he moved to the UK a couple of years ago, reports our correspondent. Also in Sylhet, Khalilur Rahman, a fellow journalist and former general secretary of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, filed a case with Kotwali Police Station on August 27 last year, naming nine journalists. The case is now under investigation by the Police Bureau of Investigation. In Brahmanbaria, retaliatory cases were not only filed regarding incidents of the July-August movement but also the protests and clashes surrounding Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh on March 26, 2021. A total of 16 journalists face cases in this district, and at least two journalists, working for two national newspapers, have lost their jobs for being accused in the cases. On November 24, a murder case was filed at the International Crimes Tribunal against 14 journalists, including Dhaka Tribune's Khulna Correspondent Md Hedait Hossain, on allegations that they had electrocuted a boy to death. The complaint says that Rakibul Hasan, a resident of Paikgachha sub-district in Khulna who was involved in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, was electrocuted while hoisting a flag tied to a bamboo pole during a protest on August 5. The first information report alleges that the accused intentionally connected live electric wires to bamboo and electric poles on the protest route, which led to Rakibul's electrocution and immediate death. The journalist, Hedait, had previously been arrested under the Digital Security Act for his reporting during the December 30, 2018, national election and battled the case for two years. "In both regimes, I have become the victim of the abuse of political powers. I was named because I belong to the Federal Union of Journalists. I had contacted the father of Rakibul, and he said that he does not even know about the case. He said that three people came to his house and took his NID, claiming that they would get financial assistance from the government. He told me that he gave his signature to the men on a white paper," said Hedait. He was also named in another ICT complaint filed over a death in Ashulia that happened at the same time as Rakibul's death, even though Hedait is from Khulna. "Strikingly, both complaints cited the same witness. How can one witness be both at Ashulia and Paikgachha at the same time?" he questioned. At least 14 journalists have been arrested at various times, with 13 of them still in jail. One of them, Monirul Islam, the Kuakata correspondent of GTV, was later released on bail. He explained how the case against him was fabricated. "I was named in a case filed under the Explosives Act. The incident happened on August 4, when a few local boys allegedly threw cocktails at a shop in Kuakata. I was not even in that location, and I had all the proof. I was in Dhaka. I was so sure that it was a mistake that I went to the court and surrendered, but instead of taking my proof into cognisance, they threw me into jail," said Monirul. He spent 16 days behind bars. Monirul is afraid of being too vocal about the case, fearing further persecution. "I need to stay in my district, because if I cannot, I will lose my job," he said. Former reform commission chief Kamal said one of the reasons that journalists at the local level are being targeted is because many of them have side gigs like businesses. "Many have multiple identities, and these fake murder charges are a way of score-settling or a result of political rivalry," he said. "These cases need to be independently investigated to find out the underlying reasons behind them, and the police cannot be the ones to do it. But for sure, these reasons are not linked with the offences they are actually being prosecuted for," he said. When asked why murder cases were being filed against journalists, Dhaka Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi told The Daily Star, "They (journalists) might not be directly involved, but they aided and abetted through their speeches." The question arises: how many of the prosecuted journalists, especially out of the capital, wielded the clout necessary to incite Awami League cadres or law enforcers to commit murder? Kamal Ahmed said these cases were unequivocally made on trumped-up charges and that the murder charges were all false. "There is no specific law in Bangladesh that can prosecute a journalist for incitement of murder through journalism. There are laws that can be used against journalists for breaking down social harmony," he said. In a report in January, Human Rights Watch called the wholesale prosecution of journalists a replication of the "familiar patterns of abuses from the Hasina administration". "While it is critical that those who were involved in commanding, aiding, and abetting the grave crimes committed during the uprising are held to account, mass cases against journalists for not backing the protesters sends a dangerous message for freedom of expression under the interim government," the report said. Beyond judicial harassment, all the journalists The Daily Star spoke to said they were afraid of mob attacks that would "invariably go unchecked". At least 28 journalists were attacked in seven separate instances across Natore, Barishal, Patuakhali, Shariatpur and Dhaka. Omar Faruk, who had formerly worked at Independent Television, was attacked while covering the demolition of the house of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on Dhanmondi 32. "I went live and was explaining to my audience that the authoritarian rule of Sheikh Hasina had led to intense public outrage. I used the word 'Bangabandhu' to refer to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. After all, even the museum located here was called the Bangabandhu Museum. A mob gathered around me because I used that word, and they beat me up," said Faruk. Faruk said he filed a general diary with the local police station, but there was no update on the investigation. "I have no hope for justice. Mobs know that they can attack journalists with impunity," he said. Célia Mercier, head of the RSF South Asia Desk, said in a report on February 14 that there was a worrying surge in violence against the media. She said, "While the interim government's takeover in August 2024 raised hopes for improvement, journalists' safety remains unprotected. They are being assaulted while reporting, subjected to physical retaliation for their articles, and their newsrooms are being stormed by protesters. "RSF calls on the authorities to prosecute all those responsible for these attacks, to put an end to this intolerable cycle of violence, and to ensure the safety of media professionals." - The Daily Star/ANN
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Daily T: Here comes Farage's big election test - will he pass?
The local elections are just around the corner, with voters heading to the polls on May 1st. It's the first big test for the political parties since the general election, particularly the Reform Party, who are expected to make big gains in the North. The party hopes to claim a win in Runcorn and Helsby as their first ever by-election victory, making them a very serious contender for the governing party in the next big Watson and Kamal Ahmed are joined by Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common and The Telegraph's data expert Ollie Corfe to find out which seats we should be watching, where Labour and Tories could be losing seats to Reform, and why Nigel Farage's party could end up being the biggest in the country. Watch episodes of the Daily T here. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The Daily T newsletter for updates Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The Daily T: The British Steel saga has ended our love affair with Chinese money
After an emergency Saturday sitting of Parliament, British Steel's Scunthorpe plant is now – to all intents and purposes – under Government control. Chinese owners Jingye were intending to shut down the site, with the potential loss of almost 3,000 jobs and an end to 160 years of steel-making in the town. But under emergency legislation a new CEO has been appointed and the company will report directly to the government – with the race now on to secure the raw materials to stop the furnaces shutting down. With Nigel Farage accusing China of deliberately sabotaging the plant, Kamal Ahmed and Tim Stanley ask Reform's candidate for Mayor of Lincolnshire, Dame Andrea Jenykns, whether the party believes that China should be removed from key UK infrastructure projects. Plus, Kamal and Tim grill each other on how privileged they are, after details emerged of Westminster Council's test for staff as part of its efforts to combat bias. Watch episodes of the Daily T here. You can also listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe to The Daily T newsletter for updates
Express Tribune
05-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Telcos protest exclusion from tariff relief
Listen to article Telecom companies have expressed frustration and serious concerns over being excluded from the government's recently announced electricity tariff relief, citing the long-standing denial of industrial status benefits despite being declared an industry by the government in 2004. On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a significant reduction in electricity rates — a Rs7.41 per unit decrease in the national average tariff and a Rs7.69 per unit cut for industries. The relief was lauded as a positive development; however, telecom companies say they have once again been left out. Speaking to The Express Tribune, "The telecom sector was granted industry status in 2004, yet we continue to be denied the corresponding benefits," said Kamal Ahmed, Secretary General of the Telecom Operators Association (TOA). He said the sector continues to face high operational costs due to the lack of electricity tariff reductions for its core components. According to the association, power is one of the largest cost components for telecom operators, who must keep thousands of cell towers and data centres running round the clock. "Industrial electricity tariffs would significantly ease our operational costs," Kamal Ahmed added. Wahaj Siraj, Co-founder and CEO of Nayatel, also voiced concern over the exclusion of the telecom sector from the electricity relief package. "Great move to reduce electricity rates, but the telecom industry, data centres, cloud platforms, et al, don't get this rate despite being declared an industry by the government since 2004," he said on social media. He questioned how Pakistan could aspire to become an IT powerhouse when critical digital infrastructure such as data centres is deprived of industrial electricity rates. The telecom companies lamented that despite detailed hearings at the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), telecom operators and data centres are still billed at commercial rates. "There is a disconnect between policy and implementation," Ahmed maintained. As the federal government prepares the budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, telecom companies have called for urgent tax and policy reforms to address mounting financial and regulatory challenges facing the crucial sector. The industry has urged the government to exempt telecom companies from withholding tax obligations under the Income Tax Ordinance (ITO) 2001, describing the current system as overly complex and burdensome. "Telecom operators are utility providers managing millions of transactions daily. The current tax regime increases compliance costs and stifles growth," the TOA Secretary General said. The industry is also seeking to reverse a change made under the Finance Act 2015, which converted adjustable withholding tax into a fixed minimum tax of 4% under Section 153(1)(b) of the ITO. This, they argue, disproportionately affects telecom companies, especially amid rising costs and high inflation. "Taxation should reflect actual earnings, not penalise compliant businesses with arbitrary fixed rates," Ahmed said. The association has also called on the government to end coercive tax enforcement actions such as freezing bank accounts or sealing offices. These measures, it argues, should be reserved for habitual defaulters, not compliant companies. "Tax recovery should begin only after an independent appellate tribunal reviews a case," Ahmed added. In a bid to retain skilled talent, the TOA also urged the government to introduce targeted tax relief for telecom employees. The rising tax burden on salaries, combined with inflation, has made it harder to attract professionals to the sector. The TOA is also advocating for the reduction of income tax under Section 236 - currently at 15%, up from 12.5% - and the rollback of the Federal Excise Duty (FED) rate from 19.5% to 16% under the Finance Act 2021. "Lowering these rates would not reduce government revenue, but rather support digital growth and long-term economic inclusion," Ahmed said.
