Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Monday said there is no scope to fire a journalist from his job without any prior notice.
He made the statement while addressing a seminar titled “Murder and persecution of journalists during the fascist regime,” organized by the Bangladesh Journalist Welfare Trust at the Department of Films and Publications.
“Three journalists have been dismissed and we strongly oppose this action. The government does not support the termination of any journalist without due process,” he said.
The adviser continued: “If a dismissal is necessary, it must follow a clear procedure and proper notice must be served to this end. We stand against any action that threatens an individual's livelihood.”
Mahfuj said: “Deepto TV authorities did not serve any notice prior to suspending its news transmission. But in such a manner was the transmission halted that it seems to all that the government shut them down."
He added: "But the government did not shut down its news transmission. This is an act of impetuousness. It is not a good sign.”
He further said: “The government's policy is that no outlet will be forcibly closed. But, there will be an investigation to determine whether the media acted in favour of any particular political party."
Mahfuj said: “Asking questions is important to make the government accountable. However, there is a clear distinction between questions and propaganda.”
He also said: “Some newspapers still do not write July uprising, instead they write July movement; they do not say the government of the July uprising, they say the government of the change of power.”
He added: “This means that 2,000 people were not martyred here. It seems to all that there was a conspiracy; Hasina was overthrown there. The media cannot do this.”
Mentioning that these media outlets have not been shut down, the adviser said: "Everything has happened before your eyes."
He said no one has been allowed to hurt the media to date, and it will not be allowed in the future. "Fascism is a terrible thing— we must always keep its memory alive. If we forget, this dark chapter may be repeated. The rule of Sheikh Mujib and Sheikh Hasina does not match any other era," he said.
The information adviser said that the media outlets that were given licenses during the Awami League period will be investigated.
He said that even though Ershad was a dictator, Sheikh Hasina is called a fascist. “The reason for this is that Ershad had less manpower, while Mujib and Hasina of the Awami League had people everywhere. This party established fascism in all systems,” he added.
Mahfuj said: “Today, Awami League leaders and activists are absconding, and Sheikh Hasina is responsible for it. Sheikh Hasina was the last person from the Sheikh family to escape because all the members of the Sheikh family had escaped before her.”
