journalist
Journalists criticise using photos of Khaleda, Tarique on ‘media card’ for covering BNP’s Rajshahi rally
Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s move to force journalists — covering today’s rally in Rajshahi — to put on press cards with photos of BNP’s top leaders has triggered a wave of criticism from local journalists.
Ahead of the party’s rally, the press cards were being distributed yesterday among journalists and they were told to enter the venue wearing the cards.
Enraged by the condition, some journalists even took to social media, raising objections at Tarique Rahman’s photo being used on the press card, as he is a “convicted fugitive”.
Rafiqul Islam, president of Rajshahi Journalists Union, told journalists that “unlike rallies held by other parties, this instruction of making a party card mandatory for journos is really humiliating.”
Read: Locals complain of internet service disruption around BNP rally venue in Rajshahi
The press card contains photos of General Ziaur Rahman, founder of BNP, party chairperson Khaleda Zia and acting chairman Tarique Rahman.
Tarique, who now lives in London, has been convicted in a number of cases.
Referring to this use of photos of party leaders, Rafiqul said, “This is completely unacceptable for journalists to use this card to cover the event.”
Tarique Rahman was sentenced to life in prison over the heinous August 21, 2004 grenade attack — launched on an Awami League rally to annihilate the party’s leadership, including the then opposition leader and current PM Sheikh Hasina.
Read: BNP’s Rajshahi rally begins with a huge turnout
An FBI official testified in the money laundering cases against Tarique. The acting chief of BNP has also been accused of instigating mobs in Bangladesh to carry out grisly arson attacks in 2013 that killed many after his party boycotted the election.
HC upholds bdnews24.com editor’s bail order
The High Court (HC) on Thursday upheld the trial court’s order granting bail to bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Toufique Imrose Khalidi in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) accusing the journalist of amassing wealth illegally.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after disposing of the rule seeking cancelation of the bail order.
Read more: Top court upholds bdnews24.com editor’s anticipatory bail order
However, he will have to seek permission from the trial court for going abroad.
Senior lawyer Yusuf Hussain Humayun, advocate Shahriar Kabir and barrister Mahbub Shafiq appeared for Khalidi in the court while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC.
ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar filed the case on July 30 in 2020.
According to the case statement, Khalidi has Tk 42 crore in different bank accounts which have no legal source.
On August 26, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to Khalidi for eight weeks.
Later, the ACC filed the petition with the Appellate Division challenging the HC order. However, the Appellate Division upheld the HC order on September 21.
Read more: HC grants bail to ex-LGRD minister’s APS in money laundering case
On October 20, Khalidi surrendered to Dhaka Senior Special Judge's Court and sought bail. After the hearing, the court granted him interim bail till November 25.
On November 25, the court granted him the permanent bail.
Later on December 8, 2020, following ACC’s petition seeking cancellation of the bail order, the HC issued a rule questioning why the bail granted to bdnews24.com rditor by the trial court should not be canceled.
Tanzim, Rajib, Sabuj elected President, VP, GS of ATJFB
Md Tanzim Anwar, Special Correspondent of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), has been elected President of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB) unopposed for a two-year tenure (2023-24).
Rajib Ghosh, Chief Reporter of DBC News, has been elected Vice President unopposed while Ziaul Hoque Sabuj, Special Correspondent of Bangla Vision, has been elected General Secretary with Abdul Baten Biplob (Asian TV) elected Joint General Secretary.
Chief Election Commissioner Mashiur Rahaman and two Election Commissioners Golam Mujtaba Dhruba and Sohel Hossain announced the election results after the vote casting on Friday.
Earlier, the Annual General Meeting of the Forum was held at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) auditorium with outgoing President Nadira Kiron in the cheir.
Read more: ATJFB joins beach cleanup on World Tourism Day
Shafiullah Sumon (BTV) has been elected Treasurer unopposed while Emrul Kausar Emon (Daily Bhorer Dak) elected Organizing Secretary of the Forum.
Journalist killed after police in Haiti open fire
A Haitian journalist died Sunday after being shot in the head when police opened fire on reporters demanding the release of one of their colleagues who was detained while covering a protest, witnesses told The Associated Press.
Reporters at the scene identified the slain journalist as Romelo Vilsaint and said he worked for an online news site. His body was lying face down inside the parking lot of a police station in Delmas in the capital of Port-au-Prince as colleagues surrounded it, crying out as they lifted their arms.
Richard Pierrin, a freelance photographer for Agence France-Presse, told the AP he saw police open fire and Vilsaint get hit.
Gary Desrosiers, a spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, confirmed to the AP that Vilsaint was fatally shot but declined further comment except to say it was a lamentable situation.
As journalists and citizens surrounded the police station after Vilsaint was killed, officers fired tear gas to disperse them.
Reporters at the scene said the journalist being held is Robest Dimanche, who works at local Radio Tele Zenith and was covering a protest when he was detained.
The Online Media Collective, a local journalists’ association, denounced Dimanche’s arrest, saying he was being treated like a “dangerous criminal” and said he was charged with disturbing public order. Dimanche also is a spokesman for the organization.
“Our spokesperson acted within the framework of the journalistic mission by covering a protest movement,” the organization said. “The detention ... is the latest signal, without doubt the most worrying, of a resurgence of attacks on freedom of information, and this journalist must be released.”
The organization also demanded that those responsible for the recent killing of radio journalist Garry Tess and the Oct. 25 attack on Roberson Alphonse, a reporter for Le Nouvelliste newspaper, be brought to justice.
On Wednesday, Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s largest newspaper, announced it was suspending publication of its print product given “serious security problems” that are hampering production and distribution.
Journalist Raihan M Chowdhury dies
Raihan M Chowdhury, Senior News Consultant at The Financial Express (FE), died at a city hospital on Saturday. He was 57.
Raihan, who had been suffering from liver cirrhosis, breathed his last at Islami Bank Central Hospital around 2 pm on Saturday, his colleagues said.
He left behind his wife, two sons and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.
He had been working for FE since 1996. During his tenure, he also worked as the newspaper’s Senior Business Editor.
Raihan M Chowdhury, Senior News Consultant at The Financial Express (FE), died at a city hospital on Saturday. He was 57.
Raihan, who had been suffering from liver cirrhosis, breathed his last at Islami Bank Central Hospital around 2 pm on Saturday, his colleagues said.
He left behind his wife, two sons and a host of relatives and well-wishers to mourn his death.
He had been working for FE since 1996. During his tenure, he also worked as the newspaper’s Senior Business Editor.
His first namaz-e-janaza was held on the premises of the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity at 4:30pm while the second on the premises of the National Press Club at 5:00pm, the third was at Shantinagar Jame Masjid and fourth was at Hazi Para Jame Masjid.
He was buried in the Shahjahanpur cemetery.
Raihan M Chowdhury was associated with various journalist organizations including Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), National Press Club, and Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) till his death.
Read: Veteran journalist Toab Khan dies at 87
Toab Khan: As the doyen moves on, long live journalism
Journalist Toab Khan - Toab bhai to almost all who knew him - passed away at the age of 87. It’s fitting that he did when he had just stepped into the Editor’s shoes of the once defunct now revived Dainik Bangla. His heart lay there as did of many others who worked for that outfit. One doesn’t know how the reincarnated version will look like but there is no doubt that Toab bhai will always stand tall as a journalist forever.
His roots
Toab bhai was a gentle and quiet activist who never made noise to get attention. His role in 1971 has been mentioned by most media releases in a single line but he was much more. A sterling member of the Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra whose programme “Pindir Prolap” –(Ravings of Pindi) which he did was a very respected radio feature winning many minds. It also showed the way Toab bhai thought- just logical arguments and facts- and no frills. He countered Pakistani propaganda very astutely.
When he returned to Bangladesh in 1972 , he joined Dainik Bangla as the Editor. He and his colleagues and team members turned Dainik Bangla into the best paper in town. He also helped launch the weekly “Bichitra” , the most admired magazine in Bangladesh media history.
Read:Veteran journalist Toab Khan dies at 87
Toab bhai began journalism at a weekly, “Saptahik Janata” in 1953. In 1955 he joined Dainik Sangbad where he became the News Editor in 1955. He joined Dainik Pakistan which became Dainik Bangla in 1964 and became the Editor in January 1972.
We had met once in 1976 when he came down to see Hasan Hafizur Rahman-both Dainik Bangla colleagues once- at the 1971 History writing project. We had chatted about the media and he said, “At one point of time journalism becomes part of you and you can’t do anything else. I am not an active journalist anymore and that’s what I miss-the sound and smell of a newspaper office. “He was more than wistful. Both Hasan bhai and Toab bhai had to leave after the 1973 incident.
Read: PM shocked at death of journalist Toab Khan
1973 and after
His hiatus from media began in 1973 when Dainik Bangla published a “telegram” edition condemning police firing on students who were protesting in front of the United States Information service. Two students died. But he was not punished but absorbed as the press secretary to the PM, Sk. Mujibur Rahman . It showed the level of esteem he was held in, in all circles. Hasan bhai went to Moscow as the press councilor. But neither were full time journalists anymore.
Toab bhai also served later PMs and Presidents but was never really happy. He got his break in 1993 when he became attached to “Dainik Janakantha “ in 1993 as an advisory Editor. It was a period of exile from journalism for him and he greedily jumped into media work. His second innings was full of energy and verve and he became a legend of sorts for his dedication and long hours even as his age kissed the 70s.
Yet he knew that journalism and media had both changed. Once on a TV talk show together, I had asked him if he faced competition from social media. He said, “I have been beaten by social media in every race to be the first with the news. One can’t compete with its speed and reach. We have to learn to live with it and not ignore let alone fight it. “ It’s this honesty and integrity that made him so special.
Read:Toab Khan joins as Editor of new ‘Dainik Bangla’
His final innings was as the Editor of new Dainik Bangla but no one knows how it will turn out to be. What we know for sure is what he told me at the TV station. “No matter what, we shall always remain journalists”.
Au revoir Toab Bhai.
Ekushey Padak winning journalist Ranesh Maitra no more
Ekushey Padak winning journalist and columnist Ranesh Maitra passed away in a city hospital early Monday. He was 90.
He breathed his last at Popular Hospital in the early hours today.
Ranesh Maitra left behind his wife Purabi Maitra, two sons, three daughters and a host of relatives and well-wishers.
Deputy Speaker of Jatiya Sangsad Md Shamsul Haque Tuku expressed his condolences at the demise of Maitra.
Born on October 4 in 1933 in Nahata village of Rajshahi district, Maitra completed his IA in 1955 and BA in 1959 from Govt Edward College in Pabna.
He started his career as a journalist in the weekly newspaper ‘Noubelal’ published from Sylhet in 1951.
He was awarded Ekushey Padak in 2018 for his contribution in journalism.
HC denies anticipatory bail to six over assault of Rajshahi journo
The High Court on Wednesday refused to grant anticipatory bail to six employees of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) in a case over attacks on journalists of a private television channel in Rajshahi.
The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Karim Hasan and Justice Md Atabullah passed the order after the bail petition was placed by the lawyer of the accused.
Deputy Attorney General Md Imran Ahmed Bhuiyan stood for the state.
Brushing aside the bail plea, the court refused to hear the case, the accused’s lawyer Helal Uddin Molla said adding that they would move another court with the petition.
A reporter and a cameraperson of private ATN News came under attack when they went the BMDA to cover an assignment on September 5.
Later, the reporter filed a case against seven identified people and 10 others unidentified at the local police station.
The accused are BMDA’s Executive Director (ED) Md Abdur Rashid, storekeeper Md Jibon, ED’s Peon Selim, Personal Assistant Nurul Islam, office peon Faruk, driver Abdus Sabur and Ansar member Enamul.
All the accused except ED Rashid moved the HC seeking bail on Wednesday.
Also read: Two BMDA staffers suspended over Rajshahi journo attack
Journo killed in Bogura road crash
A local journalist was killed while four other people sustained injuries when a truck crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Shahjahanpur upazila of Bogura, police said on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Golam Nabi Rahman, a resident of the district. He worked as a journalist with local daily 'Dainik Kaler Khobor'.
All the injured are aged between 50 and 70, said police.
Read: Two traders killed in Rangamati road crash
The accident occurred around 6pm on Wednesday when the truck, hired for a project of the Roads and Highways Department on Shakpala Road, hit the auto on the stretch as the three-wheeler was heading towards the town, police said.
"The crash left all five occupants of the auto seriously injured," said Raju Kamal, a sub-inspector at Koigari police outpost.
The injured were rushed to Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College and Hospital, where Golam Nabi succumbed to his injuries around 9pm, he added.
Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar’s 4th death anniversary Saturday
The 4th death anniversary of eminent journalist and former editor of Bangla daily Samakal Golam Sarwar will be observed on Saturday.
The veteran journalist, who had long been suffering from various diseases, died while undergoing treatment at Singapore General Hospital in 2018. He was 75.
Samakal members will pay homage to Sarwar at his grave at Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard in the capital's Mirpur.
Sarwar's family and ‘Golam Sarwar Foundation’ will also arrange a doa mahfil and distribute food among orphans at his ancestral home in Banaripara of Barishal.
Journalist Golam Sarwar was born on April 1, 1943 at Banaripara in Barishal.
Read: Samakal Editor Golam Sarwar dies at 75
Golam Sarwar, who also served as chairman of the board of directors of Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB), obtained his Master’s degree in Bangla literature with honours from Dhaka University. He started his career as a journalist in 1963.
He started his career as a university correspondent at Dainik Azadi in 1962.
He later joined Dainik Sangbad as a sub-editor at the same year and worked there till March 25 in 1971. He actively participated in the Liberation War from his home district Barishal.
He was awarded with the Ekushey Padak in 2014 for his contribution to journalism.
He received the Cultural Journalists' Forum of Bangladesh (CJFB) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and the Ataus Samad Memorial Trust Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.