Staffers at Janakantha call owners ‘unwanted’

A group of journalists and staffers at the Dainik Janakantha declared the editor and owners "unwanted" at the daily and formed a six-member editorial board on Saturday night.

The journalists and staffers, who were appointed at various times after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 last year, also filed a case with Hatirjheel Police Station in Dhaka against the owners on charges of wrongful termination. They also branded the owners as "allies of fascists".

The case was filed hours after the newspaper owners fired eight employees.

DMP's Tejgaon Division Deputy Commissioner Md Ibne Mizan confirmed the filing of the case.

Meanwhile, Janakantha's Editor and Publisher Shamima A Khan alleged that a "mob" forcibly occupied the Janakantha Bhaban in the capital's New Eskaton.

Her allegation is against several individuals, including major (retd) Afizur Rahman, chief operating officer of Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar; and Joynal Abedin Shishir, joint convener of National Citizen Party and planning adviser for the newspaper.

Shamima in an audio message said, "For the last few days, a certain group had been creating unrest, and we sensed something was about to happen. We had planned to publish a tribute in red for the July-August martyrs, but they sabotaged it by changing it to black [in online edition] -- implying a rejection of the uprising. Soon after, their actions escalated, making it clear this was part of a plot to take over Janakantha."

Talking to BBC Bangla, both Afizur and Shishir have denied the allegation of taking over Janakantha.

Shishir said they have merely formed a board for management purposes. "This decision was taken unanimously by all working journalists."

BBC Bangla adds that Afizur, who had served for a long time at the DGFI under the AL regime, said, "There is no question of taking over the house. I do not deserve such accusations. Madam (the editor) has said many untrue things."

On Saturday night, at a gathering outside the Janakantha Bhaban, protesters announced the suspension of all activities at the newspaper. The same night, the dismissed employees and journalist union leaders formed the new editorial board and took control of operations.

The new board includes Shishir, Mir Mohammad Jasim, adviser (online) Sabrina Binte Ahmed, deputy chief reporter Israfil Forazi, and representatives from the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists and Dhaka Union of Journalists.

As of yesterday, the online version of Janakantha no longer shows the names of the editor and publisher in the printer's line. Instead, it says the paper is "Published and printed by the Editorial Board under Globe Janakantha Shilpa Paribar member institutions Globe Printers Ltd and Janakantha Ltd."

However, the print edition still names Shamima A Khan as editor.