Staff Reporter :
Using state mechanisms by the ruling party, repression on journalists in Bangladesh marked a sharp rise, says a report of journalism advocacy group Article 19.
The report of the UK-based rights group was released on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity in city on Sunday.
“The ruling party is using the state mechanisms to control the media. And this tend marked a sharp rise in 2014,” Tahmina Rahman, director of Article 19 for Bangladesh and South Asia told the journalists.
The report finds that at least four journalists were killed and 213 others came under attack last year, reflecting on how the past year went for journalists in Bangladesh. Besides, attacks were also launched on eight bloggers and online users.
According to the report, attacks on the physical integrity remains significant with 40 serious injuries and 62 minor assaults. “An alarming 106 percent increase in harassment with figures rising from 33 in 2013 to 68 in 2014. At least nine journalists and eight bloggers and online users were arrested,” Tahmina said.
The report finds that violation of freedom of expression in Bangladesh rose alarmingly to over 33 per cent in 2014, what was 12.5 per cent in the previous year.
Apart from these, some 13 media persons faced contempt proceedings, including editors, publishers, senior ‘officers’ of journalists’ associations and a media executive.
“An overall 23 per cent were carried out by the police, special forces such as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and detective branch of police,” the report said.
The report did not record a single conviction for violence against journalists in 2014. It reads. It notes worrying patterns of insufficient legal action against attacks on journalists, taking no steps in 56.55 per cent of the cases.”
In most cases victims did not even notify the police, while in the rest, no action was taken by the police, the report said, adding victims mentioned apathy in the Bangladesh legal system, fear of reprisals and lack of support as the main causes for not taking any steps.
The report said 66.31 per cent of attacks were carried out by non-state actors and 33.69 per cent of the overall violations were perpetrated by leaders and violent activists of the political party in power, emerging as a dominant force against the safety and security of journalists.
Of the violations, investigations of only five cases have been concluded. In 27 per cent of the cases investigations are pending while the vast majority of cases (70 per cent) remain out of the reach of law.
“We are urging the government that it adopted a holistic protection approach to address issues of protection, safety and impunity…” Tahmina said.
The report said that the culture of getting away only served to embolden state actors, even those outside the remit of law enforcement.
It also added that opportunities for arbitrary use of laws is promoting a culture of fear and resulting in shrinking space for online expression, tacitly forcing online activists, users and bloggers to resort to self-censorship when expressing their views.
Women journalists continue to face work place hostility and gender based harassment and discrimination when seeking leadership positions in press associations, the report added.
The report emphasised that inconsistencies and ambiguities in laws provide ample opportunities to use the law as an instrument for harassment.
