Press council urges Munshiganj admin to take steps against 11 journos

The Bangladesh Press Council has asked law enforcers to take legal steps against 11 Munshiganj TV and print media journalists after receiving a complaint from the district administration, reports bdnewsw24.com.
In a letter dated May 17, the council urged the Munshiganj superintendent of police (SP) to investigate the charge of obstruction to government work levelled by the deputy commissioner and take necessary steps on the matter.
Additional Superi-ntendent of Police (ASP) ABM Masud Hossain told the news agency about the letter, which reached them on Tuesday.
"The OC of the Sadar thana has been instructed to take steps after we received the letter from the Press Council," ASP said.
In the letter, the Press Council said the journalists had allegedly caused disruption by barging into the DC's office where a video conference was on between the prime minister and the administrators.  
It said the journalists' action had disrupted an important state activity "which is a cognisable offence under the penal code and needs to be investigated".
However, local journalists claimed they had been barred from collecting news on the video conference.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Saiful Hassan alleged the media persons had caused chaos when asked to wait in a room next to the conference hall.
The 11 are daily Samakal's Mamunur Rashid, banglanews24.com's Kazi Sabbir Ahmed, daily Jaijai Din and Gazi TV correspondent Shaheed-e-Hasan Tuhin, daily Manabjamin's Mozammel Hossain Sajal, daily Amader Somoy's Mahbub Babu, My TV's Sheikh Md Ratan, NTV's Mainuddin Suman, RTV's Md Faridul Hassan, Ekattor TV's Jasimuddin Dewan and cameramen Jafar Mia and Abdur Rahman.
The press council also asked police to probe accusations of drug abuse against the correspondents of Samakal and banglanews24.com.
Copies of the letter, signed by Bangladesh Press Council's Secretary (Joint Secretary) Shyamol Chandra Karmakar, was also sent to the news department heads of the media organisations in question.