Media News - Thursday, August 27, 2009

BANGLADESH: HR violations against journos go unpunished

Human rights violations against journalists go unpunished due to lack of proper documentation and follow-up of the incidents, speakers at a training workshop said yesterday. Disunity among journalists, politicisation of journalist unions and media houses and lack of support from owners are major obstacles to ensuring punishment to the persons responsible, they added. The workshop on "Documenting human rights violations against journalists" was organised by Article 19, a UK-based human rights organisation working to promote freedom of expression across the globe. Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, head of News, ATN Bangla, said the unions of journalists in the country do not have proper documentation process of incidents of violence. Without documentation, it becomes difficult to seek justice. Killers of most journalists, including Manik Chandra Saha, Shamsur Rahman and Goutam Das, still remain unpunished, he added. Human rights activist Hameeda Hossain said incidents of violence against journalists are more prevalent during political governments. Political cadres are mostly responsible for such attacks, she said. About 107 journalists were assaulted by party cadres across the country in 2006 while the figure was only 7 in 2007, she added. However, a different form of repression took place during the non-political government, which includes censorship of news, she said. (Asia Media)

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