Please act today to protect media freedom in Bangladesh.

A couple of journalists have lost their lives and several TV channels have been suspended without any judicial process.

This is the time to speak up to protect free media in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is moving forward. However, some ruthless people are forcing it backward.
Two leading journalists, Sagar Sarwar and his wife, Meherun Runi, were stabbed to death on Feb. 11, 2012, at their apartment in Dhaka. Sarwar was a news editor of the private TV station Massranga and Runi was a reporter at another station, ATN Bangla. No suspects have been arrested and no evidence has been disclosed.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ), Jatiya Press Club, and Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) organized a six-hour mass hunger strike at the Press Club on March 1st, 2012, demanding proper investigation into the double murder, exemplary punishment of the killers, stopping torture on journalists and ensuring independence of the media.
They also criticized the High Court which has prohibited media from printing news stories about the murders.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 18 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh since 1992.

References:

  • Read more about it here.
  • Read Reporters without Border findings on government’s media suppression policies.
  • Also read here Asian Human Rights about Bangladesh State cannot deny freedom of expression by suspending media telecast.

Action Items:

  1. Call a journalist organization in Bangladesh.
    • Here is the list of phone numbers to choose from or use this list.
    • Talking Points: Tell them that you are calling from the US. You appreciate their work and stand for the media freedom. Then simply ask them what they are doing to get murderers of Sagar Sarwar and his wife Meherun Runi arrested. The Prime Minister promised arrests within 48 hours but it is already about two months. They were initially very active but now are more focused on wage issues.
  2. Email and call Reporters Without Borders to thank them for their March 19th report on Bangladesh press freedom. Also ask them what they can do to pressure Bangladeshi government to allow media to report on the murder of the two leading journalists.
    Asia Desk at their International office of Reporters Without Borders
    asie@rsf.org
    In Washington DC: Delphine Halgand
    E-mail : dcdesk@rsf.org
    Tel : +1 202-256-5613
  3. Email and Call Committee to Protect Journalists to thank them for their news items about the murder of journalists. Ask them if they have any plan to put pressure on the Bangladeshi government. Tell them that you are a Bangladeshi American / Canadian and are concerned about the suppression of media.
    Write to them through their web form here.
  4. Call your local press club in your city requesting them to do either of the following:
    • Write a letter to Bangladeshi Ambassador asking them about what the Bangladeshi government is doing to arrest the killers and to protect journalists from torture. In Germany journalists have taken similar steps.
    • Send the copy of your letter to the Secretary of State requesting her to speak to Bangladeshi Foreign Minister to express her concerns.
    • Adopt a resolution of support for Bangladeshi journalists and send it to the Bangladeshi journalist associations.
    • For follow up forward the Reporters without Borders article to the person you are talking to.
  5. Post on your facebook account the following links
  6. Forward this email to your friends and relatives.