Supreme Court Reporters Forum (SRF) has condemned and protested the reported harassment of three journalists by Jamaat-affiliated lawyers while they were covering news at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court.
In a statement on Tuesday, SRF President Masudur Rahman and General Secretary Mehedi Hasan Dalim termed the incident a criminal offense and a attack on independent journalism, saying it interfered with press freedom.
They demanded legal and organizational action against the lawyers involved and departmental measures against Judge Hasibullah Pias for allegedly threatening to jail the journalists without knowing the full facts.
According to witnesses, the day was fixed for the submission of the investigation report in the case over the death of Buet student Fardin Noor Parash.
The accused, his girlfriend Amatullah Bushra, appeared in court along with Fardin’s father, Nuruddin Rana. After the hearing, journalists Masud Rana (Kaler Kantho), Ariful Islam (Ekushey Television), and Ariful Islam (The Business Standard) went to record video footage of Bushra.
Several lawyers, including Jamaat-linked Rezaul Haque Riaz and Akhtaruzzaman Dalim, allegedly obstructed the filming and tried to take the journalists to the judge. Dalim reportedly snatched a mobile phone and threatened the plaintiff.
The judge then called the journalists and Dalim to the courtroom, placed the journalists in the dock, and initially threatened them with jail. “If you apologize unconditionally, I will release you. Otherwise, you will go to jail. No exceptions,” he reportedly said. The court later released them.
Masud Rana said: “We went for news coverage, but a few lawyers stopped us from taking videos and created a mob. Later, the judge called us to the dock and threatened jail.”
Ariful Islam added, “The lawyers became aggressive, snatched a mobile phone, and tried to force us to the dock. We had to apologize unconditionally without committing any crime. The incident is very unfortunate.”
Akhtaruzzaman Dalim later described it as a misunderstanding, saying the judge resolved it. Riaz also expressed regret, calling it an “unexpected misunderstanding,” and apologized.