Attacks on journalists are on the rise as the perpetrators are not brought to justice, said Dhaka Union of Journalists General Secretary Sohel Haider Chowdhury.
His remarks came on Thursday (Jan 31) during a human chain demonstration in front of National Press Club protesting the attack on private TV channel RTV reporter and cameraman by Mugda General Hospital staffers.
Journalist leaders deemed the attack as an insult to the whole journalist community.
Chowdhury said that since the attackers are not being brought to justice, journalists are being persecuted by terrorists and sometimes by the police.
On Tuesday (Jan 29), RTV reporter Sohel Rana and cameraman Nazmul Hossain Saimon were attacked by a few ward boys while unearthing information about the irregularities and corruption at the Mugda General Hospital.
The journalist community demanded the resignation of hospital Director Dr Amin Ahmed and arrest of two ward boys.
“There was no power or water supply at Mugda Hospital for the last five days,” said Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association General Secretary Dipu Sarwar.
Criticizing the running of the hospital, he added. “People in need go to state-owned hospitals for treatment. It’s not possible to implement the basic rights of the people if there are irregularities there.”
Sarwar said that it was a journalist’s professional responsibility to point out the irregularities in the society and raised questions about why they were being stopped from carrying out their duties.
Meanwhile, former general secretary of Dhaka Reporters Unity Morsalin Nomani said, “Free journalism has become very difficult these days.”
The Dhaka Union of Journalists will first complain to the health ministry and then call for movements if a solution isn’t reached.