Right to know a basic element in democracy

There is no meaning of right to expression unless the people can exercise it, said Indian columnist Kuldip Nayar at a seminar in the city yesterday.

He said, "Freedom of speech and expression is a right of any man as a citizen and as a human being."

The seminar on 'Freedom of expression, opinion and press: Context Bangladesh' was organised by Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (Blast) at CIRDAP auditorium.

Nayar said right to know is a basic element in a democracy and the people have right to know everything that a government does except something concerning security.

He said Bangladeshis have to be more assertive to establish their right to know.

Presenting a written statement, former Justice Naimuddin Ahmed said freedom of expression and freedom of the press are constitutionally guaranteed rights of Bangladeshi citizens.

"But the first blow to this freedom was the enactment of the Special Powers Act 1974," he added.

Justice Naimuddin said the state-sponsored obstacles to freedom of thought, conscience, opinion, and the press may be put up in the form of criminal cases against the speaker, writer, reporter, editor, printer and publisher, and by withholding advertisements to news organisations.

Commenting on the recent Supreme Court bar on the journalists to cover the proceedings of Dhaka-10 by-polls, he said, "It's unprecedented."

"People's ignorance is the greatest obstacle to the enjoyment of their fundamental rights," said Barrister Shafiq Ahmed, who presided over the seminar.

"It's the responsibility of the government to promote and protect people's fundamental rights," he added.