Press Freedom Day and Bangladesh

"World Press Freedom Day" was observed on May 03 across the world, and Bangladesh was no exception. If we look at the state of press freedom in our country the situation is not encouraging. The journalists of our country are under intensified pressure and harassment from the state machinery and ruling party activists. More than 200 journalists were harassed and tortured by the law enforcers and the ruling party activists, according to reports by human rights organisations.  Even in the last city elections, we saw that journalists were threatened and driven out of polling centres when they went to collect news on elections. When press faces censorship, even indirectly, it hampers progress and affects the rule of law. Even the ruling party is a beneficiary of press freedom as it gets a clear picture about what is happening around in the country and can take necessary steps if it wants. Without free press we do not get real picture of the country and the government also gets alienated from the people. Let us protect journalism from all kinds of threats and intimidation and allow society to move along the right course.

Masud Rana
Dhanmondi, Dhaka.