Denying freedom of press and freedom of speech would weaken democracy, editors of 15 national dailies said in a joint statement on Saturday.
They expressed their deepest concern over government measures of stopping publication of Bangla Daily Amar Desh, keeping its press under lock and key, obstructing its publication by alternative arrangements, allegedly torturing its acting editor Mahmadur Rahman in detention, filing cases against acting chairperson of Amar Desh Publications Limited and Daily Sangram editor Abul Asad and barring broadcast of private television channels Diganta TV and Islamic TV.
They called upon the government to allow law to take its own course by unlocking the Amar Desh press to continue its publication, releasing Mahmudur Rahman and starting broadcast of the television channels.
“None in the society is above law,” the editors said in the statement.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, the Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam, Manabzamin Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the News Today Editor Reazuddin Ahmed, New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Daily Naya Diganta Editor Alamgir Mohiuddin, the Financial Express Editor Moazzem Hossain, banglanews24.com Editor Alamgir Hossain, Bangladesh Protidin Editor Naim Nizam and Daily Sangbad acting editor Muniruzzaman, among others, signed the statement.
The government has kept Amar Desh’s printing press under lock following the arrest of Mahmudur Rahman on April 11, for publishing Skype conversation between an ex-chairman of war crimes tribunal and an expatriate Bangladeshi legal expert.
It also suspended broadcast of Diganta TV and Islamic TVon May 6.
