Govt suppressing freedom of speech: SCBA

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) said Thursday that the government is suppressing the constitutional rights of freedom of speech through its interference in the media, reports UNB.

In a statement issued Thursday, the association also claimed that an 'unwritten censorship has been imposed on private television channels to ensure that they do not go for live telecast of the events related to BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.

The statement, signed by SCBA president Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and secretary AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, also claimed that the government tactfully stopped the broadcast of Ekushey Television through cable operators and arrested its chairman in a case in which he was not an accused.

"We think these steps have curbed the right of freedom of speech ensured by the Constitution. We strongly protest and condemn these steps," said the statement.