The Editors' Council has expressed grave concern over the hardship that the national media is now experiencing while carrying out its job independently and neutrally.
The Council in a resolution adopted at its meeting held on Tuesday also sought a more cooperative and responsible behaviour on the part of the government with a view to helping the media, including the newspapers, to protect their freedom, objectivity and non-partisan character.
General Secretary of the Council and Editor of the Daily Star Mahfuz Anam issued a press release containing the full text of the resolution.
While media men, on the one hand, are coming under physical attack in the name of political programmes, attempts are also on to curtail the freedom of newspapers and other media, on the other, the statement said.
"The government is interfering with the rights of the media. The government and its administration are creating obstacles to the collection and dissemination of news independently and objectively by the media," it said.
Some newspapers and private television channels are often being branded as 'mouthpiece' of a certain party or group', the statement mentioned.
The Editors' Council termed the reaction given in the parliament regarding publication of a photograph and caption in the Daily Star only demonstrated the hostile attitude of the government towards the media, which it said, is 'not expected' from any government.
Besides, provocative statement that was made in the Parliament against the editors and publishers poses a threat to their safety and security, it said, adding that some of the editors and publishers are also being harassed by filing false cases.
Mentioning the recent incident of police harassment that took place in the office of the New Age in the name of search, the statement strongly condemned such an incident. At the same, panicky situation has also been created through the arrest of a number of private television channel owners, it added.
"The interference with the television talk-shows is on in various ways. A few of such programmes have already been suspended and the list of guests for talk-shows is also being pre-determined," the statement said.
The Council said such interference is also seen in the case of 'live' programmes. "We feel that directives given over telephone on the subjects to be telecast amounts to encroachment on the freedom of expression. Some journalists are not being allowed to attend government or party programmes. The move to brand the media and others as opponents cannot be conducive to the growth of free media", the statement said.
