Apologise to people

Eminent jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said yesterday State Minister for Home Shamsul Haque Tuku should apologise to the people for advising journalists to keep a “safe distance" from police while collecting news.
The Gono Forum president was speaking at an award giving ceremony of Bangladesh Centre for Development, Journalism and Communication (BCDJC) and Unesco in the capital.
“I have freedom of speech, and of moving freely. Shall I move to and fro on seeing the police? Shall I sneak to the roadside to avert them? Such a statement cannot come from a minister. The minister should apologise to the people,” the private television channel ATN Bangla quoted Dr Kamal as saying.
The advice for journalists to stay clear of policemen came from the state minister on Tuesday when newsmen asked him about the police assault on journalists, including three photojournalists of the Prothom Alo, recently.
“I will tell my journalist friends that they can avoid such unwanted incidents if they collect news or take photos by keeping a safe distance [from police]. I hope you [journalists] will consider it,” Tuku told newsmen after attending a seminar.
On Monday night, miscreants stabbed two journalists of bdnews24.com and injured several others on the ground floor of its office at Mohakhali in the capital.
Earlier on May 26, police assaulted three on-duty photojournalists of the Prothom Alo, hurled expletives at them and took away their cameras in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.