Senior journalists and union leaders on Wednesday demanded unrestricted access for journalists to the Bangladesh Bank, underscoring the importance of disseminating news for ensuring people's right to information.
They condemned the restrictions on journalists' entry into the central bank as an assault on the principles of free and impartial journalism, asserting their readiness to stage a greater movement against such constraints.
Journalist leaders also alleged that journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank had been unjustly restricted to conceal corruption, anarchy, and irregularities within the banking sector.
The demands and observations were articulated during a consultative session organised by the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) at its premises in the city, attended by prominent journalists and union leaders.
Shyamal Dutta, General Secretary of the National Press Club, taking part in the event questioned how one person could own multiple banks without scrutiny.
Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), expressed concern that the current challenges faced by economic reporters could escalate and stressed the need for unity among the journalist organisations to advocate for their rights and combat factionalism.
Founding convener of the ERF and Editor of The Financial Express Shamsul Huq Zahid said the issue has become bigger and more complex due to the bureaucratic mindset.
"We would not need to hold this meeting had the governor addressed this problem earlier," he said
Bangladesh Bank will have to make necessary data, statistics and information available to the public or allow access of journalists to the central bank. "Either you give up restrictions or make available all information."
The FE Editor said that State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad A. Arafat is sincere about the right to information and journalists may approach him to resolve this issue.
President of one faction of DUJ Sohel Haider Chowdhury criticised the current leadership of Bangladesh Bank and accused them of blocking journalists' access to the central bank to conceal favoritism towards certain individuals.
Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary General of BFUJ, condemned the monopolisation of the banking sector and accused Bangladesh Bank of imposing restrictions to shield corrupt practices from public scrutiny.
Sajjad Alam Khan Tapu, President-elect of DUJ, demanded the restoration of journalists' access to Bangladesh Bank.
UNB Editor Farid Hossain said that Bangladesh Bank is harming itself by banning the entry of journalists. "By doing this they are ruining their own image… the question also arises as to whether they are doing so to favour a particular group or not," he added.
President of Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) Syed Shukur Ali Shuvo said if the necessary information is not provided to journalists, it would be an assumption that there is a matter of concealment.
Mohiuddin Ahmed, general secretary of DRU, said the ban on journalists is not only dishonouring economic reporters, it is holding the entire media by the throat.
ERF former general secretary Ziaur Rahman said if the government thinks that it would be easy to hide a lot of things by the entry restriction, it is wrong.
Chaired by ERF President Refayet Ullah Mirdha, the event was facilitated by its General Secretary Abul Kashem.
Despite being unable to attend the meeting in person, BFUJ President Omar Farooq and General Secretary Deep Azad affirmed their solidarity with the movement. The Editors' Council and the leadership of the National Press Club have pledged full support to the journalists' cause.
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