‘Raise voice to ensure freedom of speech’
Rights activists urge people
Right activists today urged country people to raise their voice in favour of freedom of speech saying that human life turns into animal’s life in absence of the fundamental rights.
Lawyers, university teachers at a discussion in the capital also observed that the right to speak freely plays a vital role in the healthy development process of any society.
“Raise your voice for ensuring freedom of speech. If you do not have right to speak, you will not get any other rights,” said Eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik.
Moulik Adhikar Suraksha Committee, a platform for rights activists, organised the discussion on “freedom of speech on threat” at National Press Club.
“In the absence of freedom of expression, our life turns into an animal’s life. We are not born in an independent candidate to live an animal’s life,” said Malik, an advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court.
He pointed out that one of the vital reasons of Soviet Union fall was absence of freedom of speech.
CR Abrar, former Dhaka University international relations professor, said freedom of expression is the mother of all rights. “Without ensuring it, we cannot express ourselves as human fully,” said Abrar, also president of rights organisation Odhikar.
He quoting a report of Reporters without Border that shows that Bangladesh stands 150th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Last year position was 146th.
He said according to Odhikar information collected from newspaper reports, 15 journalists were killed between 2009 to September this year.
Besides, 1020 journalists were injured, 304 face attack and 363 were threatened in same period, he said.
Abrar said that so far 41 people including eight journalists were arrested in connection cases filed under digital security act came into being last year.
He said that freedom of speech is not charity, this is a right and it is not an issue of journalist only.
Dhaka University teachers Robaet Ferdous, Asif Nazrul and lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua also spoke at the programme.