The Bangladesh Press Council has asked law enforcers to take legal steps against 11 Munshiganj TV and print journalists after receiving a complaint from the district administration. In a letter dated May 17, the council urged the Munshiganj superintendent of police to investigate the charge of obstruction to government work levelled by the deputy commissioner and take necessary steps.
Additional Superintendent of Police ABM Masud Hossain told bdnews24.com about the letter, which reached them on Tuesday.
“The OC of the Sadar Police Station has been instructed to take steps after we received the letter from the Press Council.”
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 cognizable offence under the penal code and needs to be investigated”.
However, local journalists claimed they had been barred from gathering news on the video conference.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Hassan alleged the media persons had caused chaos when asked to wait in a room next to the conference hall.
He complained about the incident to the press council. However, since the state-run media monitor lacks the power to take action in such cases, it wrote to the district police, requesting them probe the matter and act according to their findings.
The 11 are Daily Samakal’s Mamunur Rashid, banglanews24.com’s Kazi Sabbir Ahmed, Daily Jai Jai Din and Gazi TV correspondent Shaheed-e-Hasan Tuhin, Manabjamin’s Mozammel Hossain Sajal, 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, had also been sent to the news department heads of the media organisations in question.
