Laws enacted to control journalists and media have created an environment of fear and intimidation among journalists, Sampadak Parishad (Editors' Council) President Mahfuz Anam said on Saturday.
“In spite of the repressive laws, journalists in Bangladesh are trying to continue their job. There are already laws like the Official Secrets Act and Digital Security Act, which are being used to muzzle the voices of journalists. And now a number of new laws like data protection law and OTT platform regulation are in the pipeline to control freedom of expression further,” he said.
He was speaking at a discussion organized by the Sampadak Parishad on digital surveillance on journalists, to mark World Press Freedom Day.
He noted that female journalists faced harassment online and the Sampadak Parishad would definitely take some action on the matter.
Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutta said: “Journalists cannot work freely when they know they are under surveillance. Why the government thinks that it needs to enact new laws to control journalists is a real concern now. We can write but the real question is whether we can write what we want to.”
New Age Editor Nurul Kabir said when journalists were harassed in a society it became a crisis of democracy.
“Freedom of journalists will benefit the whole of society in making informed decisions," he said.
Journalist Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said that 73% of female journalists around the globe were harassed online and Bangladesh needed laws to deal with this kind of issue, instead of enacting more laws to muzzle the voices of journalists.
Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury said: “We need to take real action alongside having discussions on Press Freedom Day.”
M Abdullah, president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), pointed out that the inaction of civil society --when a journalist was attacked-- helped perpetuate injustice against journalists.
“Fourteen journalists were beaten up while covering the clashes between New Market traders and Dhaka College students, but no case was filed in this regard,” he said.