Prothom Alo Editor: Noted citizens concerned over charge framing
Eighteen eminent citizens yesterday expressed concern that a court framed charges against five people, including Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, in a case filed over the tragic death of college student Naimul Abrar.
Following is the full text of the statement given by the noted citizens:
Recently, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court framed charges against five persons including its [Prothom Alo] Editor and Publisher Matiur Rahman in a case filed over the tragic death of Dhaka Residential Model School and College student Naimul Abrar. Framing of charges in the case, especially against the editor of Prothom Alo, has surprised and made us worried for various reasons.
Naimul Abrar was electrocuted during the anniversary programme of Kishor Alo at Dhaka Residential Model School and College sports ground on November 1 last year. It was an unexpected and tragic incident. However, it was not Prothom Alo's programme but the anniversary programme of its magazine Kishor Alo. The Prothom Alo editor was not even present at the programme. After the incident, Naimul Abrar's father Mojibur Rahman filed an unnatural death case with a police station. Later, he filed a complaint case registered separately with the court.
We think there is no scope to see the case separately from the ones filed in the past against the country's reputed and freethinking editors, including Matiur Rahman, to harass them. Neither can it be seen as a separate incident from the repeated attacks on media freedom in the country. We demand that path be kept open of the right to legal remedy for all the accused in the case including the Prothom Alo editor.
Our concern is that such cases would be misused to shrink the freedom of the editors and newspapers. We call upon everyone to desist from such attempts.
The signatories to the statement are: Ahmad Rafique, researcher and language movement veteran; Serajul Islam Choudhury, emeritus professor, Dhaka University; Hasan Azizul Huq, litterateur; M Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government; Perween Hasan, vice-chancellor, Central Women's University; Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq, retired professor, Department of Bangla, Dhaka University; Ali Imam Majumder, former cabinet secretary; Sultana Kamal, human rights activist; Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, former election commissioner; Mamunur Rashid, actor, playwright and director; Rasheda K Chowdhury, former adviser to a caretaker government; Syed Manzoorul Islam, author and educationist; Moinul Islam, economist and former professor of Department of Economics, Chattogram University; Badiul Alam Majumdar, secretary, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik; Tofail Ahmed, former professor of Department of Public Administration, Chattogram University; Iftekharuzzaman, executive director, Transparency International Bangladesh; Shahdeen Malik, advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court; and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, chief executive, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association.