To say that the incident of the four journalists recently injured while reporting on UP polls in Thakurgaon is unexpected is dishonest, to say the least. From the rural areas to the urban cityscapes, nowhere have we achieved the feat of keeping our journalists safe. Even when they are murdered, we have failed to give them their due -- Sagor and Runi being a prime example of this.
So to say that Bangladesh is a land not safe for journalists would unfortunately be underselling it.
Bangladesh ranks 152nd out of 180 countries when it comes to the free press index. And while numbers like this are not always indicative of the full picture, that shouldn’t stop us from demanding the authorities to be better in protecting our journalists. But even though we have raised our voice so many times, our appeals have fallen on deaf ears.
Journalists are often more concerned with safeguarding their lives than the publication of truth. The draconian DSA law has made it clear that there are some things that we as “free” media simply can’t talk about.
We are overtaking countries like India and Pakistan when it comes to development and wealth. The same is expected when it comes to our environment for journalism. We need to treat journalists better. Bangladesh has a clear vision of becoming a utopia of tomorrow. But that is a goal that cannot be reached if we keep handicapping our fourth estate.
