Govt denying Mahmudur treatment
A section of journalists and lawyers yesterday alleged that the government was torturing detained Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman by denying him proper medical treatment.
Speaking at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club, they demanded the government release him immediately and take steps to reopen his newspaper.
Mahmudur's counsels and journalists of Amar Desh newspaper arranged the press conference.
Reading out a statement, Mahmudur's counsel Tajul Islam said his client had been in jail for the last 14 months and alleged that the jail authorities did not admit him to a specialised hospital as per the directives of a Dhaka Court.
Instead, he was sent to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University on April 19 where he was not given any treatment.
“The government is torturing him by denying proper treatment, and this way it wants to push him towards death,” he alleged.
Tajul also said over 500 journalists and employees of the newspaper were now “living in inhuman conditions” since publication of the newspaper was stopped 14 months ago.
He urged people, human rights organisations and the world community to press for Mahmudur's release and reopening of the paper.
Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, vice-chairman of Bangladesh Bar Council, said “the government does not believe in the freedom of the press” and that's why it has filed 68 cases against Mahmudur and sealed the Amar Desh press.
Mahmudur was arrested at his newspaper office in the capital's Karwan Bazar on April 11 last year. Police also sealed the printing press of the daily.
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