“Between the violence of armed groups and government’s repression, the secular voices in Bangladesh are consistently being silenced Not only is the government failing to protect freedom of expression, it is blaming the people for the threats they face and criminalising the works of bloggers and journalists through a slew of repressive laws,” said Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher Olof Blomqvist.
The amnesty international today accused the Bangladesh government of “stifling” free speech and “silencing” the critical voices in the media, invoking colonial-era sedition laws.
The human rights body released a report — Caught between fear and repression: Attacks on freedom of expression in Bangladesh — detailing a series of recent attacks on secular bloggers, atheists and journalists by fundamentalists in the neighbouring country.
“Between the violence of armed groups and government’s repression, the secular voices in Bangladesh are consistently being silenced. Not only is the government failing to protect freedom of expression, it is blaming the people for the threats they face and criminalising the works of bloggers and journalists through a slew of repressive laws,” said Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher Olof Blomqvist.
Asked why the report was being released in Delhi instead of dhaka, he said the Amnesty International wanted to highlight the “regional nature” of threats to freedom of expression, adding that it had documented similar issues and restrictions in India, pakistan and maldives as well.
“We have also organised a press conference in London for the Bangladeshi journalists based there.
“The Bangladesh government treats journalism as if it is a crime. Through imprisonment, threats, intimidation and constant interference in their work, the Bangladesh government has done all it can to silence the critical voices in the media,” said Blomqvist.
Speaking on what should India’s role be in the matter, Aakar Patel, Executive Director of Amnesty International India, said, “India can offer refuge to those who leave Bangladesh due to these incidents. It should not only accept refugees of a particular faith. The policy should be based on threat perception of individuals.”
He said India should be in regular touch with the governments of all the neighbouring countries going through a turmoil, including Bangladesh, and put pressure on them to initiate action against the perpetrators of such attacks.
“India should be the torch-bearer as regards freedom of expression. We have gone wrong on the issue of sedition. If we come up with a clear policy regarding freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution, it will help the neighbouring countries in the long run,” said Patel.
The Amnesty International report comes in the backdrop of brutal attacks on bloggers and publishers, including the lynching of writers Ahmed Rajib Haider and Avijit Roy, in Bangladesh in recent years.
2.
“Not only is the government failing to protect people’s freedom of expression, it has been blaming them for the threats they face and criminalising the work of bloggers and journalists through a slew of repressive laws.”
Armed groups in Bangladesh have acted with impunity, succeeding in several high-profile killings with little consequence, according to the report, titled ‘Caught between fear and repression: Attacks on freedom of expression in Bangladesh’.
It notes that only a single case against these attacks has been successfully tried.
Activists receiving death threats have been forced to leave the country after authorities refused to protect them, according to the report.
The government even blamed the victims, said Amnesty, as in the case of online activist Nazimuddin Samad, who was hacked to death in April 2016. It cites Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan’s comments that Samad’s work would be scrutinised for ‘objectionable’ content and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s denunciation of the writing of secular bloggers as ‘filthy words’.
Amnesty claims the government is also involved in supressing public debate and criticism by harassing the media through a network of draconian laws and interference.
“The Bangladeshi government treats journalism as if it were a crime,” said Blomqvist. “Through imprisonment, threats, intimidation, and constant interference in their work, Bangladesh’s government has done all it can to silence critical voices in the media.”
Journalists are afraid of crossing ‘red lines’, especially regarding criticism of the prime minister and her family, Amnesty said.
Awami League supporters filed a flurry of 83 politically motivated cases against Mahfuz Anam, the long-time editor of The Daily Star.
Anam appeared on a talk show on a private television station last year and admitted that in 2007 and 2008, his paper had published unsubstantiated corruption allegations against Hasina.
Bangladesh had been at the time under the rule of a military-backed government which pursued a “minus two” policy, aimed at removing both Hasina and Khaleda Zia, chairperson of the BNP, from politics.
The report cited Anam as saying he had printed the allegations under pressure from military intelligence and that many other media outlets published similar articles at the time. He called the stories in The Daily Star “a big mistake”.
Shafik Rehman, an elderly opposition supporter and the editor of the weekly Mouchake Dil magazine, was held in solitary confinement for over three weeks on a trumped-up charge of “conspiring to abduct and assassinate” ruling party politician Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
Bangladesh’s authorities have frequently invoked archaic, colonial-era criminal defamation and sedition laws against critical journalists, according to the report.
The Information and Communications Technology Act has been used to muzzle critics. The law has allowed the government to intimidate the media through threats and violence, Amnesty alleged.
“The crackdown on dissent and secular thought in Bangladesh must end. The very first steps must include providing protection to those who are threatened for raising their voices, and to repeal or reform the draconian laws that are used to punish anyone voicing inconvenient opinions,” said Blomqvist.
3.
Bangladesh uses tough laws to crack down on dissent: Amnesty
The Amnesty report comes as police used the law Sunday night to arrest the editor of an online news portal after he published a report questioning the standards of the products of a local leading electronics maker
Bangladesh is using “draconian” internet laws to crack down on dissent, curb public debate and criticism and harass and prosecute journalists, amnesty international said today.
“The Bangladeshi government treats journalism as if it were a crime,” said Olof Blomqvist, the group’s researcher, in a report entitled “Caught between fear and repression: Attacks on freedom of expression in Bangladesh”.
“Through imprisonment, threats, intimidation and constant interference in their work, Bangladesh’s government has done all it can to silence critical voices in the media,” he said.
The Information and Communications Technology Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, is “the principal instrument to muzzle critical voices in the country”, the report said.
The government of Prime Minister Sheikh hasina has used the controversial law, enacted in 2006 and made tougher in 2013, to arrest several top editors who were considered pro- opposition, over charges widely believed to be politically motivated.
Since January 2014 the authorities have used this law to arrest at least 95 people including nine journalists and two writers, according to local rights group Odhikar.
Several journalists refer to the current repression as the worst they have endured since Bangladesh returned to civilian rule in 1991, the report said.
“There are now ‘red lines’ that journalists are careful not to cross. Few dare publish reports that may be deemed critical of Hasina or her family, knowing that they could be shut down without explanation or have pressure brought to bear on their advertisers,” the report said.
“The crackdown on dissent and secular thought in Bangladesh must end,” said Blomqvist, urging the government to “repeal or reform the draconian laws”.
The Amnesty report comes as police used the law Sunday night to arrest the editor of an online news portal after he published a report questioning the standards of the products of a local leading electronics maker.
Local journalist groups have mainly raised concerns over Article 57 of the internet law, which allows prosecution of people if they are deemed to “prejudice the image of the State” or “hurt religious belief”.
“This is a notorious law. It criminalises journalism and freedom of expression. It must be nullified,” Pulack Ghatack, a joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, told AFP.
4.
BANGLADESH: DISSENTING VOICES TRAPPED BETWEEN FEAR AND REPRESSION
The Bangladeshi government has not only failed to protect dissenting voices or hold accountable the armed groups that threaten them, it has also stifled freedom of expression through a slew of repressive tactics and new laws, according to a new Amnesty International report published today.
The report, Caught between fear and repression: Attacks on freedom of expression in Bangladesh, documents how armed groups have thrived in a climate of impunity, carrying out a high-profile spate of killings of secular bloggers with few consequences. In four years, only a single case has resulted in convictions.
Activists also regularly receive death threats, forcing some of them to leave the country for their own safety, while the authorities have refused to offer them protection.
Over the last year, the Bangladeshi government has also intensified its crackdown on public debate and criticism, harassing media workers, interfering with their work, and bringing criminal charges against them under draconian laws.
“Between the violence of armed groups and state repression of the state, secular voices in Bangladesh are being consistently silenced. Not only is the government failing to protect people’s freedom of expression, it has been blaming them for the threats they face and criminalizing the work of bloggers and journalists through a slew of repressive laws,” said Olof Blomqvist, Amnesty International’s Bangladesh researcher.
Blaming the victims
After the online activist Nazimuddin Samad was hacked to death near his university campus in Dhaka in April 2016, the government sought to blame the tragedy on him. The Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the police would scrutinize his writings for “objectionable” content. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina denounced the work of secular writers as “filthy words”.
“Not only is the government failing to protect people’s freedom of expression, it has been blaming them for the threats they face and criminalizing the work of bloggers and journalists through a slew of repressive laws”
– Olof Blomqvist, Bangladesh researcher
In several other cases, activists told Amnesty International the police refused to register their complaints about threats they received. In other instances, the police suggested the victims should leave the country, or even began harassing them for writing on “secular topics”.
One secular blogger, who received more than a dozen death threats by phone and on social media, told Amnesty International: “I made several attempts to get some help, but [to] my face they refused to help me.”
Meanwhile their attackers have been able to enjoy almost complete impunity. Since the Awami League government was re-elected in 2014, only one case resulted in convictions – eight alleged members of Ansar al-Islam were found guilty in December 2015 for their role in an attack.
This has brought a climate of fear in Bangladesh’s once-vibrant civil society, who now resort to self-censorship.
Speaking to Amnesty International, journalists described the repression as the worst they’ve endured since Bangladesh returned to civilian rule in 1991. There are now “red lines” that journalists are careful not to cross. Few dare publish reports that may be deemed critical of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina or her family, knowing that they could be shut down without explanation or have pressure brought to bear on their advertisers.
“The Bangladeshi government treats journalism as if it were a crime. Through imprisonment, threats, intimidation, and constant interference in their work, Bangladesh’s government has done all it can to silence critical voices in the media,” said Olof Blomqvist.
Repressive laws
The 2006 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Act, which carries a minimum sentence of seven years, is seen as the principal instrument to muzzle critical voices in the country. Its vaguely worded clauses empower the authorities to prosecute people “in the interest of sovereignty, integrity or security of Bangladesh” or if they are deemed to “prejudice the image of the State” or “hurt religious belief”.
The government has used the draconian law to silence criticism in the media by bringing criminal charges against journalists for simply doing their work. In December 2016, Nazmul Huda, a print and television journalist, was arrested, viciously beaten in custody and then charged under the ICT Act for covering protests by garment workers outside Dhaka.
“The government has picked a few individuals to make examples out of. This has been to instill fear in other media, to show what happens when you cross the line.”
In 2013, the government also used the ICT to bring criminal charges against four secular bloggers for allegedly “hurting religious sentiments”.
Since 2013, several high-profile journalists and editors have been subjected to politically-motivated criminal charges. Most of them have been associated with media outlets that are critical of the government or supportive of the political opposition.
One journalist told Amnesty International: “The government has picked a few individuals to make examples out of. This has been to instill fear in other media, to show what happens when you cross the line.”
In one instance, Awami League supporters filed a flurry of 83 politically motivated cases against Mahfuz Anam, editor of Bangladesh’s The Daily Star newspaper.
Shafik Rahman, an elderly opposition supporter and the editor of the weekly Mouchake Dil magazine, was held in solitary confinement for over three weeks on a trumped-up charge of “conspiring to abduct and assassinate” ruling party politician Sajib Wazed Joy.
Bangladesh’s authorities have frequently invoked archaic, colonial-era criminal defamation and sedition laws against critical journalists.
The authorities are also now proposing new laws, such as a Digital Security Act and Liberation War Denial Crimes Act. If enacted, these laws would impose further restrictions on freedom of expression by creating new criminal offences, sometimes using national security as a cover.
“The crackdown on dissent and secular thought in Bangladesh must end. The very first steps must include providing protection to those who are threatened for raising their voices, and to repeal or reform the draconian laws that are used to punish anyone voicing inconvenient opinions,” said Olof Blomqvist.
Govt. Jokes here:
Govt will prove it doesn’t want to stifle freedom of expression: Law minister
Law Minister Anisul Huq
He was
speaking at a programme at the Shilpakala Academy on Tuesday.
He made the comment after UK-based Amnesty International accused the government of doing everything possible to stifle voices of dissent.
The ICT Act was being used against freedom of expression, said the international rights group.
Section-57 of the 2006 law has come under many criticisms from media personalities and humanitarian workers for its potential for misuse.
The section says an individual can be jailed from seven to 14 years if he or she posts information online that is dishonest and defaming in nature. Fine of upto Tk 10 million can also be be imposed.
The government is about to draft a digital security law and incorporate the ICT law in it.
“There will be a new digital law which will give a clearer idea of Section-57.
“The law will also prove that the government has no intention to take away freedom of expression.”
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বাংলাদেশে রুদ্ধ বিরুদ্ধ মত: অ্যামনেস্টি
স্বাধীন মত প্রকাশের সুরক্ষা দিতে ব্যর্থতার পাশাপাশি বাংলাদেশ সরকার বাক স্বাধীনতা খর্ব করতে খড়গহস্ত বলে দাবি করেছে অ্যামনেস্টি ইন্টারন্যাশনাল।
যুক্তরাজ্যভিত্তিক মানবাধিকার সংস্থাটি বাংলাদেশের সার্বিক মানবাধিকার পরিস্থিতি নিয়ে মঙ্গলবার প্রকাশিত এক প্রতিবেদনে এই দাবি করে।
ইস্ট লন্ডনের একটি হোটেলে এই প্রতিবেদন প্রকাশের অনুষ্ঠানে অ্যামনেস্টির কর্মকর্তাদের পাশাপাশি ব্লগার সিনথিয়া আরেফিনও ছিলেন।
‘ভয় আর দমন-পীড়নের ফাঁদে বাংলাদেশে বিরুদ্ধ মত’ শীর্ষক এই প্রতিবেদনের মূল সুর হচ্ছে, জঙ্গিদের হামলা আর হুমকির ভয়ে স্বাধীনভাবে মত প্রকাশের সুযোগ বাংলাদেশে কমে এসেছে। সরকার তাদের সুরক্ষা দেওয়ার বদলে উল্টো নানা কৌশল ও আইনের বেড়াজালে ভিন্ন মত প্রকাশের পথ রুদ্ধ করে চলেছে।
এই দুই মিলিয়ে বাংলাদেশে মত প্রকাশের স্বাধীনতা এখন অনেক সঙ্কুচিত বলে উপসংহার টেনেছেন অ্যামনেস্টির বাংলাদেশ বিষয়ক গবেষক ওলফ ব্লোমকভিস্ট।
“সশস্ত্র সন্ত্রাসী দলের হামলা ও হুমকি এবং রাষ্ট্রীয় দমন-পীড়নে বাংলাদেশে অসাম্প্রদায়িক রব এখন নীরব।”
হামলা ও হুমকির মুখে পড়া ব্লগার, অনলাইন অ্যাক্টিভিস্ট, সাংবাদিকদের সুরক্ষা দেওয়ার বদলে তাদের দায়ী করে বাংলাদেশ সরকার উল্টো অপরাধীদের মদদ জোগাচ্ছে বলে অভিযোগ করছে অ্যামনেস্টি।
প্রতিবেদনে বলা হয়েছে, মত প্রকাশের স্বাধীনতা খর্ব হলেও সন্ত্রাসী গোষ্ঠীগুলো বাংলাদেশে এক ধরনের স্বাধীনতা নিয়েই কাজ করে যাচ্ছে। তারা বেশ কয়েকটি বড় ধরনের হত্যকাণ্ড ঘটিয়েছে।
২০১৬ সালে অনলাইন অ্যাক্টিভিস্ট নাজিমুদ্দীন সামাদ হত্যাকাণ্ডের পর ব্লগারদের লেখা নিয়ে প্রধানমন্ত্রী ও স্বরাষ্ট্রমন্ত্রীর বিরূপ মন্তব্যের কথাও উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে প্রতিবেদনে।
গত কয়েক বছরে এই ধরনের হত্যাকাণ্ডের ঘটনাগুলোতে মাত্র একটির বিচারের কথা উল্লেখ করা হয়েছে প্রতিবেদনে। সেটি হল ব্লগার আহমেদ রাজীব হায়দারের বিচার, যেখানে আনসারুল্লাহ বাংলা টিমের আটজনের সাজা হয়েছে।
জঙ্গি হামলা কিংবা হুমকির মুখে পড়ে আইনশৃঙ্খলা বাহিনীর কাছে নিরাপত্তা চেয়েও না পাওয়ার কথা অ্যামনেস্টিকে বলেছেন ব্লগাররা, যাদের কেউ কেউ নিরাপত্তার স্বার্থে দেশ ছাড়ার কথাও জানিয়েছেন।
বহুবার হুমকি পাওয়া এক ব্লগার অ্যামনেস্টিকে বলেন, “নিজের নিরাপত্তা চেয়ে আমি অনেকবার তাদের দ্বারস্ত হয়েছিলাম, কিন্তু তারা (আইনশৃঙ্খলা বাহিনী) আমাকে কোনো সহায়তা করেনি।”
অ্যামনেস্টি দাবি করেছে, বাংলাদেশে আওয়ামী লীগ নেতৃত্বাধীন সরকার গণমাধ্যমে তার সমালোচনা ঠেকাতে নানা হস্তক্ষেপের পাশাপাশি কালাকানুনও ব্যবহার করছে।
“বাংলাদেশ সরকার সাংবাদিকতার সঙ্গে এমন ব্যবহার করছে যেন এটা একটা অপরাধ,” বলেন ব্লোমকভিস্ট।
“তাদের জেলে পুরছে, হুমকি দিচ্ছে, ভয় দেখাচ্ছে, তাদের কাজে হস্তক্ষেপ করছে। বিরুদ্ধ মত দমনে যা যা করা দরকার, তার সবই সরকার করছে।”
এই পরিস্থিতিতে বাংলাদেশের সাংবাদিকরা ‘সীমা’র বাইরে গিয়ে বিশেষ করে প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা এবং তার পরিবারের কাউকে নিয়ে কোনো সমালোচনায় সাহসী হচ্ছেন না বলে অ্যামনেস্টির দাবি।
এর উদাহরণ হিসেবে ডেইলি স্টার সম্পাদক মাহফুজ আনামের বিরুদ্ধে ৮৩টি মামলার কথা উল্লেখ করেছে মানবাধিকার সংগঠনটি।
মাহফুজ আনাম গত বছর এক টেলিভিশন অনুষ্ঠানে স্বীকার করেন যে ২০০৭ ও ২০০৮ সালে জরুরি অবস্থার সময় কোনো সূত্রের উল্লেখ না করে তার সংবাদপত্রে ডিজিএফআইর সরবরাহ করা ‘শেখ হাসিনার দুর্নীতি’র খবর প্রকাশ ভুল ছিল। তার স্বীকারোক্তির পর আওয়ামী লীগের সমর্থকরা তার বিরুদ্ধে মানহানির মামলাগুলো করেন।
শফিক রেহমানকে বন্দি করার বিষয়টিও উল্লেখ করেছে অ্যামনেস্টি, যিনি শেখ হাসিনাপুত্র জয়কে হত্যাচেষ্টার ষড়যন্ত্রের মামলায় গ্রেপ্তার হয়েছিলেন।
অ্যামনেস্টি বলছে, বাংলাদেশ সরকার এখনও পুরনো ঔপনিবেশিক আইনের প্রয়োগ ঘটিয়ে সাংবাদিকদের উপর দমন-পীড়ন চালাচ্ছে।
ভ্ন্নি মত দমন করতে বিতর্কিত তথ্য প্রযুক্তি আইন প্রয়োগের পাশাপাশি ডিজিটাল নিরাপত্তা আইন প্রণয়নের উদ্যোগেও উদ্বেগ জানিয়েছে মানবাধিকার সংগঠনটি।
ব্লোমকভিস্ট বলেন, “বাংলাদেশে এই দমন-পীড়ন অবশ্যই বন্ধ হতে হবে।”
প্রাথমিক পদক্ষেপ হিসেবে যারা হুমকির সম্মুখীন, তাদের নিরাপত্তা বিধানের দাবি জানিয়েছে অ্যামনেস্টি। এরপর নিবর্তনমূলক আইনগুলো সংস্কারের দাবি জানিয়েছে তারা।
News Desk: Zobaen Sondhi, Amnesty International, Outlook, BDNews24.com, বিডিনিউজটোয়েন্টিফোরডটকম
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