Press freedom and democracy endangered in Bangladesh

Probir Sikdar, a Bangladeshi journalist is still apprehending for being kidnapped or physical assault or being missing while he used to moving here and there. He sought police protection so that no one can harm him. However, men in police administration arrested him instead of providing him protection. He hailed from Faridpur and now is staying in Dhaka’s Indira Road in farmgate areas at a residence and running a newspaper magazine named 71 and online news portal 71news.com. He says, I may embrace unnatural death at any time, as my opponents are very active to kill me. He adds he has been granted bail but his security has not been ensured to move freely and safely. He was arrested on a case filed by a Faridpur lawyer under Information and Communication Technology Act brought against him. Following the case, he was nabbed fearing public outrage among the people against the famous persons in the society. Rights bodies and aggrieved journalists began to bring out protest rallies every day after his arrest demanding his unconditional release from the jail. Meanwhile Shaukat Mahmood, a journalist leader and president to Bangladesh Federal union of Journalists was arrested from the capital on a case of arson that ignited the journalists once again. They began to protest everyday for his immediate release. These two arrest incidences gave signals to the mass that government became much more intolerant and impatient in running the country. However, Probir Sikdar was released on Tuesday but Shaukat Mahmood yet to be released. Different right bodies and social and political leaders including main opposition BNP chief Khaleda Zia demanded his immediate release denouncing government’s bad policy to curb the voice of media people. Probir Sikdar, a family member of a martyred, said he was picked up from his office Sunday evening in connection with the case filed with Faridpur Sadar Police Station. People say that he was unveiling the news of coherent to occupation forces, who staged atrocities during liberation war 1971, tried to subdue the people of this soil by resorting firearms, killing the mass people randomly. In addition, Shaukat Mahmood engaged to voice against the ugly picture of the incumbent government each day that angered the men in authority and arrested him meaninglessly. He is a man of good habits and never committed any harm to anybody especially the members to journalist community. As a long-time president to National Press Club he did a tremendous contributions to his fellowmen risking his life and forgetting his own wellbeing. Civil society leaders are now opining that government is herself making unpopular and pushing her to be unseated, that is unbearable and painful to both the men in government and mass people.

Democracy and press freedom in Dhaka