Govt had no role in wrongful termination of 3 journos: CA Deputy Press Secy

The government had no involvement in the recent wrongful termination of three journalists from three different television channels, nor in the temporary suspension of news broadcasts on one channel, said the Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumdar today (2 May).

Speaking at a discussion, titled "Bangladesh after the July Revolution: Challenges for the Media", held at the Chattogram Press Club today, he said, "In a recent incident, three journalists from three separate television channels were terminated from their jobs. One channel also suspended its news broadcasts briefly. While none of these channels provided an official explanation, many have taken to social media to blame the government. We believe it is inappropriate to hold the government responsible for these actions."

He alleged, "Some individuals have attempted to justify these unjust terminations by indirectly blaming the government, which is regrettable. No government authority requested any channel to take action against their journalists. Since the channels made these decisions independently, the government couldn't prevent them."

Azad further said that the public's right to access information is an essential tool in resisting corruption, injustice, and misgovernance. 

"From the beginning, the interim government has been committed to upholding this right. However, we also expect the media to act responsibly in this regard," he said. 

"Many mainstream media outlets have recently misused the government's liberal policy on free press and become engaged in disinformation. Fact-checking organisations have identified numerous such reports which undermined the people's right to truthful information," he said.

He added that the spread of fake news and rumours in the digital space has misled the public, prompting the government to take various initiatives to combat misinformation.

"The first method the government has chosen to counter disinformation is to ensure the free flow of accurate information. The Chief Adviser's Press Wing has consistently strived to provide information to as many journalists as possible. We have kept our regular press briefings open to all journalists, and sometimes even members of the public have attended and asked questions."

"Like everyone else, we believe that asking questions is a journalist's right. That's why we have always been prepared to answer both favourable and critical questions," he added.

Commenting on the controversial Cyber Security Act, Azad said, "In recent years, the Digital Security Act has posed a significant obstacle to journalism. Despite widespread national and international criticism, it was reintroduced as the Cyber Security Act without fundamental changes. The interim government has now made a policy decision to repeal the act."

"All cases filed against journalists under this law have been withdrawn, and no new cases have been filed since. We expect the new Cyber Security Act to be approved at the upcoming Advisory Council meeting next week," he added.

"The proposed law aims to eliminate nine repressive sections from the previous act, which accounted for 95% of the cases filed. Once these sections are repealed, any pending cases under them will be automatically dismissed. In the new act, warrantless arrests will be removed for all offences except serious cyber hacking," Azad said.

He hoped that such reforms would significantly reduce legal harassment of journalists and create a freer environment for the press.

He also addressed accusations faced by journalists following the July-August mass uprising of last year. 

"Over the past eight months, many journalists have been named in murder cases across the country due to their roles during that period. But you'll note, none of these cases have been filed by any government authority. Police have been clearly instructed not to arrest or harass any journalist without specific allegations during investigations," he stressed.

Regarding the cancellation of journalist accreditations, he said, "Since taking office, the interim government has decided to cancel accreditation cards of 168 journalists. This has drawn criticism, although the issuance and cancellation of accreditation cards is a routine matter. Since the system was introduced, 7,866 cards have been issued, of which 4,935 have been cancelled for various reasons."

"Despite criticism, the government has decided to review the issue and allow affected journalists to appeal. However, only seven have submitted appeals so far," he said.

After the fire incident at the Secretariat, entry was restricted for accreditation cardholders, but Azad noted that special passes were issued to journalists to ensure their access. 

"So far, around 570 such passes have been issued. In the past, even party activists were granted accreditation cards, which allowed lobbyists posing as journalists to disrupt professional reporting. The government now plans to issue new accreditation cards for all to rectify the situation," he said.

Among those present at the event were the Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, and BFUJ President Obaidur Rahman Shahin and General Secretary Kader Gani Chowdhury, among others.

The programme was moderated by Saleh Noman, secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan Journalists Union.