The Editors' Council on Saturday expressed deep concern over the arrest and imprisonment of `Dainik Agrayatra Pratidin’ Acting Editor Md Rezanur Islam in a case filed over a news report involving State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, calling the incident a threat to press freedom and freedom of expression.
In a statement, the council strongly protested the arrest, saying the incident contradicts the BNP's election manifesto and its 31-point state reform agenda, both of which pledge to uphold media freedom and the right to free expression.
The Editors' Council said there are existing legal and institutional mechanisms in the country to address grievances over any news report, regardless of the complainant's position in the state. It noted that aggrieved individuals can seek remedy through the Press Council or pursue legal action under existing laws.
However, the council expressed concern that in the current case, one journalist had been arrested and sent to jail over a case filed by another journalist.
It said similar incidents of lawsuits, arrests and harassment of journalists over published reports had occurred during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, and warned that the latest incident marked a troubling continuation of that trend.
According to the statement, the practice of filing criminal cases against journalists and sending them to jail over news reports poses a serious threat to independent journalism and freedom of expression and could have a negative impact on the independence of newspapers and media professionals.
The council also warned that such incidents could further worsen Bangladesh's standing in the World Press Freedom Index, where the country currently ranks 152nd, and damage its image in the international arena.
The Editors' Council demanded the immediate release of Rezanur Islam and urged the authorities to ensure that complaints against journalists are addressed through existing legal and institutional frameworks, particularly through the Press Council, instead of through arrests and criminal prosecution.
The statement was signed by Editors' Council President Nurul Kabir and General Secretary Dewan Hanif Mahmud.