‘Case filed against Prothom Alo editor to harass him’

Several eminent personalities have issued a statement expressing their concern about the framing of charges, especially against Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, in a case filed over the tragic death of Dhaka Residential Model School and College student Nayeemul Abrar.

“We think there is no scope to see the case separately from the ones filed in the past against the country’s reputed and freethinking editors, including Matiur Rahman, to harass them,” the statement reads.

The signatories to the statement include Ahmed Rafique, researcher and language movement veteran, Serajul Islam Choudhury, professor emeritus at University of Dhaka, Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser of the caretaker government, Syed Manzoorul Islam, author and educationist, Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, Shahdeen Malik, Bangladesh Supreme Court advocate and several other prominent personalities of civil society.

Nayeemul Abrar was electrocuted during a program of Kishor Alo at Dhaka Residential Model School and College sports ground on November 1 last year.

The statement emphasized that it was not a program of Prothom Alo, but rather was the anniversary program of its magazine Kishor Alo. Furthermore, the Prothom Alo editor was not even present at the program.

The framing of charges against Matiur Rahman cannot be seen separately from the repeated attacks on media freedom in the country, the statement said, adding: “We demand a path be kept open for the right to legal remedy for all the accused in the case, including the Prothom Alo editor.”

“Our concern is that such cases will be misused to hamper the freedom of editors and newspapers,” the statement said.