Case against Prothom Alo editor, other journos blatant attack on press freedom: Mirza Fakhrul

Voicing deep concern over suing one after another against journalists, including Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman, under the Digital Security Act (DSA), BNP on Thursday alleged that the government has been carrying out extreme repression by using the ‘black’ law to gag the media.

In a statement, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam demanded the immediate repeal of the Digital Security Act and the withdrawal of all cases filed against journalists, reports UNB.

After picking up Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman Shams by law enforcers early Wednesday, Fakhrul said a case was filed against the editor of the newspaper, Matiur Rahman, on Wednesday late night under the DSA.

Besides, he said a Jubo League leader filed another case under the DSA against Daily Jugantor's Special Correspondent and ex-general secretary of Crime Reporters’ Association Mahbub Alam Lavllu in Chattogram.

The BNP leader strongly protested and denounced the filing of the cases against the journalists under the DSA on ‘false’ charges.

“Filing of cases one after the other against journalists, including Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, under the DSA a severe blow to the freedom of expression,” he observed.

Fakhrul alleged that the government has demonstrated that it wants to bury democracy forever by filing a case under the Digital Security Act against Matiur Rahman, one of the country's leading newspaper editors.

By suing journalists under the DSA, he said the government wants to send out a message to the country’s people that the government's activities cannot be criticised and opinions cannot be expressed freely.

“The Awami League government is continuing its terrible misrule in the country by indiscriminately repressing and suppressing the media, the fourth pillar of the state,” the BNP leader said.

He also said the case against Matiur Rahman was undoubtedly filed at the behest of the government.

Fakhrul said the country’s people and the media have got panicked due to the killing and repression of journalists across the country.