Editors' Council calls for withdrawal of 'false and harassing' cases against journos

The Editors' Council has called on the government to immediately withdraw what it described as false and harassing cases filed against journalists across the country since 5 August 2024.

In a statement issued today (25 February), the council said that numerous journalists have been implicated in false murder and other harassment cases in different parts of the country. As a result, many journalists are currently on the run, while others are being compelled to appear regularly before courts.

The council expressed concern that such cases are severely disrupting journalists' normal professional activities and undermining the independence of the media.

Signed by Nurul Kabir, president of the Editors' Council, and Dewan Hanif Mahmud, its general secretary, the statement read that if there are specific and evidence-based allegations against any journalist, those should be addressed strictly through existing laws and transparent judicial processes. However, filing harassment-driven and motivated cases is unacceptable.

"The Editors' Council had repeatedly urged the interim government to withdraw false and politically motivated cases and to take effective measures to stop the harassment of journalists. 

"Although the government assured that the cases would be reviewed and that appropriate steps would be taken to withdraw false and harassing cases, there has not been expected progress in this regard," the statement read.

The council made a strong appeal to the newly elected government to treat the matter with utmost importance and to take prompt steps to withdraw false and harassing cases filed against journalists.

Ensuring media freedom and professional security for journalists is a fundamental commitment of a democratic state, the statement added.