Journo leaders issue 3-day ultimatum to restore 'Jai Jai Din' declaration
Journalist leaders have issued a three-day ultimatum to restore the declaration of the daily "Jai Jai Din".
The demand was raised by the outlet's journalists during a human chain protest in front of the National Press Club on Saturday following the cancellation of the newspaper's declaration.
The journalists condemned the move, claiming the government cannot close a media outlet under the influence of any group without notice, as allegedly happened at Jai Jai Din. They called it a violation of democracy and freedom of expression, and expressed concerns about the decision's timing which jeopardised the livelihoods of hundreds of journalists ahead of Ramadan and Eid.
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Khurshid Alam, general secretary of the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), said the struggle for press freedom had been ongoing for years, and despite the end of fascism, journalists still face uncertainty.
He condemned the paper's editor Shafik Rehman for cancelling the newspaper's declaration in coordination with a specific industrial group, despite a High Court order. "On behalf of all journalists, I demand the declaration be restored promptly," Khurshid Alam said.
He added that while the interim government came to power through a mass uprising, one of its first acts was shutting down media outlets. He warned the government not to provoke protests, saying no government has succeeded by opposing journalists.
Shawkat Hossain Badal, joint news editor of Jai Jai Din, said journalists should be working, not protesting to protect their rights and livelihoods.
The protest also recalled an incident in 2007 when Shafik Rehman fled the country without paying journalists' dues, which were later settled by HRC Group Chairman Sayeed Hossain Chowdhury.
Rehman returned to Bangladesh in December 2024, allegedly using a group to seize control of Jai Jai Din's office and launch a new daily, Jai Jai Din Protidin, aiming to shut down the original publication. Journalist leaders claimed this conspiracy was supported by a leading industrial group.
The protest saw speeches from other journalists, including Gazi Anwar, Razu Ahmed, and Fakhrul Islam, and was attended by a large number of activists and journalists.
