It’s a threat to independent journalism: TIB

Transparency International Bangladesh has said the "indescribable" torture on Chattogram-based journalist Golam Sarwar was a threat to independent journalism.

Golam Sarwar being found in an unconscious and mentally imbalanced condition after going missing for three days was not an isolated incident, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said in statement yesterday.

Rather it was part of issuing a threat, using torture to gag freedom of speech, he added.

TIB also demanded probe of the incident and exemplary punishment following arrest of the culprits.

"Sarwar's comment 'Brother do not beat me, I won't write news anymore' is not a only comment of a tortured journalist, rather it picturises the overall situation of the media," Iftekharuzzaman said.

Incidents of attack on journalists and filing of cases against them to control them are taking place regularly. But instances of exemplary punishmnet is absent, he said.

Sarwar, a journalist at Chattogram-based news portal ctnews.bd, published an article alleging that a minister's family member is involved in land grabbing.

On the morning of October 29, he went missing while on his way to work. His family members told our correspondent that in the 96 hours since his disappearance, they had been contacted at least five times by his abductor, through Sarwar's cell phone.

Each time, the abductor instructed the family to be prepared to pay ransom, before switching off the phone. In spite of the fact that Sarwar's own cell phone had been used, police could not locate him.

On Sunday evening, Sarwar was found unconscious beside a canal at Sitakunda's Kumira.

TIB said that it was law enforcers' failure that they could rescue Sarwar promptly. After seeing such failure, it seems that matters of freedom of speech and opinion were only in talks, and in reality there were trying to curb those rights, the statement said.