With notable increase in the number of violations against journalists and online activists compared to the previous years, the country saw another violent and repressive year for freedom of expression and press freedom in 2016, rights organisation ARTICLE 19 said yesterday.

Last year, a total of 320 violations took place in 147 incidents, including three killings, against 141 journalists, three online activists and three officials of a publishing house, said the UK-based rights body, which focuses on defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, ARTICLE 19 yesterday released its 2016 country report titled “Bangladesh: Violations against Journalists and Online Activists in 2016”.

“Brutal attacks on journalists and online activists, and the use of unfair laws and criminal defamation provisions which clearly violate international standards, continued to stifle free speech,” said ARTICLE 19.

They said harassment through unwarranted application of laws, including criminal defamation cases, vexatious cases under different laws including the Penal Code, ICT Act, and the Special Powers Act “constituted 39.1% of the total violations posing the most significant threat to freedom of expression.”

“The use of criminal defamation has increased seven-fold and amounted to 78 cases, compared to only 10 in 2014,” it said.

“This year different laws have been used in conjunction to harass targeted individuals, such as The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam faced 66 criminal defamation cases, and 17 cases filed with vexatious intent for alleged sedition by leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its affiliated bodies across the country, after his admission regarding a lapse in editorial judgement while publishing a report containing unverified information,” it said.

Commenting on the report, Tahmina Rahman, director of ARTICLE 19 for Bangladesh and South Asia, said the state must take steps to “create a safe and enabling environment for journalists and activists to carry out their work, and take measures to ensure their security and protection in line with Bangladesh's obligations under UN Human Rights Council Resolution...”

She urged the government to ensue prompt and effective investigations into all violations against journalists to bring an end to impunity; repeal section 57 of the ICT Act to bring it in line with international standards; and drop all cases against journalists and online activists under this provision.

REPEAL SECTION 57

Meanwhile, a group of senior journalists yesterday demanded repealing of section 57 of ICT Act in order to stop its misuse.

“There may be different opinions over a report of a journalist, but arresting him or taking him to court directly, is not acceptable in a democratic society,” said Farida Yasmin, general secretary of Jatiya Press Club at a seminar at Jatiya Press Club.

Jatiya Press Club in association with MRDI and FOJO: Media Institute organised the seminar, marking Press Freedom Day.

Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, said when the government formulated the act incorporating section 57, it assured that the section would not be misused. But now the section is being misused.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, however, said the instigators and the ones that provide distorted or false information are now under pressure, not the media or journalists.

Editor of the daily Samakal Golam Sarwar urged the government to bring all cases related to killing of journalists under Speedy Trial Act.

Iqbal Sobahan Chowdhury, information adviser to the prime minister; Matiur Rahman, editor and publisher of the daily Prothom Alo; Shyamal Dutta, editor of the daily Bhorer Kagaj, also spoke at the programme that was presided over by Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, president of Jatiya Press Club.