The High Court issued a rule on the government on April 19, to explain why it should not form a judicial inquiry committee to probe the incidents of police attack on journalists in Chittagong, as the authority formed only a one-member inquiry committee comprising the DIG of police.

The government on April 20 decided to form a one-member judicial enquiry commission. A seven-member committee has also been constituted to suggest compensation and treatment for the journalists after assessing the damage. Indeed, such has been the state of things in every case. But the government needs to be sincere if it really wishes to cut out atrocities on journalists.

Attacks and violence against journalists is fast turning into the norm in Bangladesh. A senior photo journalist of Daily Jugantor was assaulted physically by the fisheries and livestock minister Abdullah Al Noman in Chittagong on January 28.

Barrister Nazmul Huda on October 21, 2004, publicly mused as to "whether the journalists should be brought under the jurisdiction of the Rab for their information terrorism."

The BNP leaders in Rajshahi inviting journalists for a conversation and then pouncing on them physically for reports they made earlier, speaks of the same old story of the journalists being persecuted by the people in power.

The pertinent question arises in this context is why the persons in power are so much angry at the media? According to a recent study, the recent trend of physical attacks and violence against journalists is linked to the media's commendable role in exposing corruption and abuse of power by the ruling alliance and the persons in the corridors of power.

The 2005 report on Bangladesh by Reporters Without Borders stated: "Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's ruling alliance of conservative and Islamist parties, which has been in power since October 2001, displayed criminal ill-will in refusing to acknowledge human rights violations, including press freedom violations." The report also contained the personal account of an ill-fated Bangladeshi journalist who was forced to go into exile after his family was threatened by the security forces.

The statistics of Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based global media watchdog, also revealed a very grim state of press freedom in Bangladesh. According to the report, four journalists were killed, 96 were physically attacked, 9 were arrested, 175 were threatened and 9 media premises were ransacked in Bangladesh in the year 2004. On the other hand, one journalist was killed and 23 others were physically attacked in India, while one journalist was killed and 19 were physically attacked in Pakistan during this period.

Sixteen journalists were killed by the terrorists during the last one decade in the south-western region of the country. Among them, four were editors. Daily Patradoot editor SM Alauddin of Satkhira was killed on June 19, 1996. Saiful Alam Mukul of Jessore was killed on August 30, 1998. Mir Ilias Hossain Delip, editor of Daily Beer Darpan of Jhenidah was killed on January 15, 2000 and editor of daily Janmabhumi Humayun Kabir Balu who was also Khulna Press Club President, was killed on June 27, 2004.

The last victim was Goutom Das, the Samakal bureau chief of Faridpur who was killed at his office in November 2005. The most painful aspect of these murders is that neither trial of any of the cases has been completed nor the killers have been convicted, giving killers the impression that they can go unpunished.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the global organisation representing over 5 lakh journalists in more than 100 countries, expressed concern over the alarming pattern of attacks and violence against the journalists in Bangladesh. The IFJ in its 2005 report stated: "Bangladesh continues to be one of the most dangerous places in South Asia for journalists carrying out their duty. At least four journalists were killed, 320 were injured and 405 others received death threats in Bangladesh during the period from May 2004 to April 2005."

The IFJ has also condemned the violent closure of a journalism seminar and consequent harassment of media workers in Bangladesh. On April 13, 2006 a journalists seminar organised by the Debidwar Press Club in Comilla district, was forcibly foiled by a group of men allegedly sent by the local MP of the ruling BNP, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi. The seminar entitled "Torture against journalists in home and abroad and remedy," was shut down when 12-15 people stormed the hall shortly before the forum was due to begin, forcibly removing guests from their seats and confiscating broadcast equipment.

Manjurul Ahsan Munshi has a history of violence against the media. Just three days earlier he was convicted of harassing Debidwar Press Club member and journalist for the Daily Prothom Alo, Atiqur Rahman Bashar. Munshi was sentenced to six months imprisonment but was later granted bailment from the High Court.

"Any attempt to silence journalists is not only an attack on our profession but also on the underlying principles of press freedom. We fully support our Bangladeshi colleagues in speaking out against this oppression. It is essential that all journalists are free from political interference when carrying out their duties," said IFJ president Christopher Warren.

Ann Cooper, the Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) an America based media watching, has described Bangladesh as the most dangerous country for the journalists in Asia: "I can't imagine to take risk to continue my profession here as journalist. It takes real courage to be a journalist in Bangladesh" she said after a week-long fact-finding visit to Bangladesh in 2003. Harry K. Thomas Jr., the former US ambassador to Bangladesh also termed Bangladesh as a dangerous country for journalists.

Bangladesh is now globally listed as one of the most dangerous places for journalists. As the predicament in which our journalists have increasingly found themselves shows no sign of diminution, a truly determined government action is needed to tide over the on-going persecution, intimidation and violence against the journalists.

A congenial relation between the media-men and the law enforcers is also a must for providing security to the journalists against all sorts of violence. But the hostile attitude of the high-ups in the ruling alliance towards the journalists basically has encouraged the law enforcers for atrocities on journalists.

The police atrocities on journalists in Chittagong, has not only put the nation to shame but has once again thrown the country's image into an abyss. The government must ensure an atmosphere conducive to journalism, at least for the sake of restoring its image abroad.

ANM Nurul Haque is a columnist of The Daily Star.