The declaration of the daily Jai Jai Din has been revoked following an application by its former editor Shafik Rehman, sparking protests from the newspaper's current management and journalists.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday at Dhaka Reporters' Unity, Kazi Rukunuddin Ahmed, acting editor of the newspaper, along with the current owners and journalists, protested against the illegal occupation of the newspaper’s main office and the unjust cancellation of its declaration.
In his written statement, Kazi Rukunuddin said: "A malicious group, with Shafik Rehman in the forefront, has illegally seized the main office and the printing press. They have resorted to lies and deception to continue their conspiracy to seize Jai Jai Din from its current owner, Sayed Hossain Chowdhury. We attempted to resolve the matter quietly, keeping in mind the respect for this senior journalist. However, this group is trying to influence the law and the court, constantly distorting truth and fabricated lies."
He added: “After the Jai Jai Din office and press in Tejgaon industrial area were seized, the newspaper continued to print from another press following proper procedures, informing the DC office about the change. Despite this, the DC office, after receiving Shafik Rehman’s application, revoked the newspaper’s declaration under baseless pretenses.”
Kazi Rukunuddin said: "The government has repeatedly emphasized media freedom, yet an influential group has manipulated the system to revoke the declaration of a legally operating media outlet."
