Request to exercise caution appears to be threat to the media: Editors' Council on Police Service Association's statement
The Editors' Council said it believes that the BPSA’s statement, in response to recent news reports, is an expression of mutual blame.
The Editors' Council has expressed concern over the statement issued by the Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) regarding the recent media reports on alleged corruption of former and current police officials.
In a statement today (23 June), the council said, "Their [BPSA] request to exercise greater caution in future reports about the Bangladesh Police appears to be a threat to the media, which the Editors' Council deems contrary to independent media and impartial journalism practices."
The Editors' Council said it believes that the BPSA's statement, in response to recent news reports, is an expression of mutual blame.
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"The Editors' Council considers the association's statement to be an unseemly, unreasonable, and irresponsible action against independent media and impartial journalism," reads the statement.
The Editors' Council further suggested that if there are doubts about the responsibility of those who published these reports, the appropriate rules and regulations should be followed to approach the Press Council.
Earlier on 21 June, the BPSA issued a statement condemning what it described as a "smear campaign" by certain media outlets against current and former members of the police force.
The association claimed that these reports are exaggerated, partial, and intentionally misleading.
The BPSA's statement came amid the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) inquiry into the assets of former inspector general of police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and his family, following media reports on allegations against him of accumulating illegal wealth.
There have been media reports also on unusually huge assets by former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia.
