‘56 journalists faced harassment, torture in 3 months’

At least 56 journalists were tortured, harassed, threatened, or sued across Bangladesh between January and March this year, according to a report by the rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).

The rights organization revealed the information in a report on three months of the rights situation in Bangladesh published on Friday (March 31).

The suing of Prothom Alo reporter Samsuzzaman Shams and Editor Matiur Rahman in a case filed under the Digital Security Act with Ramna police on Wednesday is only one of those instances, according to a statement released to the media by Abu Ahmed Faijul Kabir, senior coordinator of ASK.

The report also mentions the arrest of Raghunath Kha, Satkhira correspondent of Deepto TV and Dainik Projonmo Ekattor. Law enforcement had denied picking him up for nine hours before ultimately showing him arrested in a case.It also discusses the alleged torture of Kaler Kantho staff reporter Zahirul Islam by a Gulshan police station officer.

The rights organization demanded that the Digital Security Act be repealed and all cases brought under the law against journalists be withdrawn.