A dialogue was held on Tuesday to discuss the structure for establishing a special help desk to enhance the legal protection mechanism for journalists in Bangladesh.
Organized with support from the Unesco Global Media Defence Fund, the program was held at the Shafiqul Kabir Milon Auditorium, Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU), Dhaka.
With participation by leaders of journalist associations and members of legal service providers, the event focused on the organizational structure and framework of operations of the proposed help desk.
The participants welcomed the initiative as a good step towards safeguarding journalists and pledged their active cooperation to making the project viable.
Mir Masruruzzaman, executive director of SoMaSHTe and chief news editor of Channel i, gave the welcome remarks, mentioning the background and necessity of the Help Desk.
The dialogue was moderated by Reaz Ahmad, editor of Dhaka Tribune, and participated in by Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, president, BFUJ; Kader Gani Chowdhury, general secretary, BFUJ; Md Shahidul Islam, president, Dhaka Union of Journalists; Mainul Hasan Sohel, general secretary, DRU; MM Badsha, general secretary, Crime Reporters Association; Ilyas Hossain, member secretary, Broadcast Journalists Center; Nighat Seema, deputy director, Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA); Md Barkat Ali, director (Legal), BLAST; and Advocate Sujoy Chowdhury of Ain Seba, among others.
Speakers asserted that this initiative would help to create a safer and more protective environment for journalists in Bangladesh.
Leaders of journalist associations reaffirmed their dedication to press freedom and human rights and emphasized collaboration and cross-affiliation cooperation to protect journalists through the Help Desk.
Representatives of the legal service providers indicated the Help Desk would be crucial in providing legal help, advice, and proper assistance to journalists and they are ready to be allies in this endeavour.
It was announced that the help desk, as envisioned, would be made up of representation from journalist associations and legal service providers.
The data collected from journalists seeking legal aid would be forwarded to the respective legal service providers. Where appropriate, referrals would be made with district- or region-level legal services.
The organizers also expected that when the project was complete, the help desk model would be self-sustaining with the engaged participation of journalist associations. This would secure a safer, more supportive, and more effective working culture for journalists, they said.
In Bangladesh, journalists are often faced with legal issues while reporting about human rights violations, corruption, land grabbing, or politically sensitive issues. For this reason, the initiative to establish a rapid, responsive, and effective legal support mechanism through the help desk aims to fill a critical gap, they added.
Initiatives towards operationalizing it shall soon be taken up with the participation of journalist associations and legal aid organizations, they said.
