PEN Bangladesh, the local chapter of PEN International, writers, poets, publishers, editors, translators, journalists, and academics recently celebrated World Press Freedom Day 2019.
During a discussion meeting and recitation event on Saturday (May 25), the organisation called for everyone to fight for the freedom of media to counter fundamentalism, injustice, and corruption in the society.
The speakers said that the freedom of press has come under threat throughout the world and restriction in the freedom of press is a blow to the society's conscience.
They termed the press as a mirror and said it’s the job of everyone who sees their reflection in the mirror, to fight to safeguard the freedom of media, so that it can, in turn, fight against injustice and corruption.
PEN Bangladesh Secretary General Mohammad Moheuddin presented a speech on behalf of the organisation.
The event was held in the PEN Bangladesh headquarters in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Its President, and author, Syed Manzoorul Islam, presided over the event. The main prose was presented by Head of News of Gazi TV, Syed Ishtiaque Reza.
Poets Shamim Reza, Lovely Bashar, Farhana Rahman, Aniket Shamim, Ferdousi Mahmud, Maleka Ferdous, Gauranga Mohanta, Shihab Shahriar, Shakira Parveen, Zahid Sohag, Sharafat Hussain, authors Hamim Kamrul Huq, and others attended the event.