Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF), noted advocate and activist Sultana Kamal-led new organization to protect and promote human rights, has strongly protested and condemned the case filed against five journalists in Satkhira.
The organization also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case.
MSF said that journalists play an important role in providing information to the people of the country and to various levels of government by fulfilling their professional responsibilities.
"The case was filed for the purpose of harassment and it cannot be accepted in any way," the human rights body said in a statement.
Earlier, an extortion case was filed against five local journalists for reporting against “Shopping Valley Food Products” for making food in an unhygienic environment and using the BSTI logo and fake registration number on Shemai's packets despite not having any license.
The accused journalists are Sohag Hossain, district representative of online portal Dhaka Post, Gazi Farhad, district representative of Dhaka Mail, Hossain Ali of Daily Patradoot, Habibur Rahman of daily Mukto Khabor and Shaheen Biswas of daily Kaler Chitra.
Based on the report, the district administration conducted a raid on March 29 at the Lachha Semai factory of Shopping Valley Food Products and fined Tk25,000.
The mobile court, led by RAB-6 commanding officer Major JM Galib, also shut down the factory for making lachha in an unhygienic environment and using the BSTI logo and fake registration number on its packets.
The court took cognizance of the case and ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate and submit a report by May 23.