Bangladesh press freedom faces unprecedented challenges, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU)summons bank accounts details of 28 journalists.
The BFIU has sent letters to various banks of the country seeking information about them, sources familiar with the development said Tuesday, reports UNB.
After receiving the letter from the Ministry of Information, BFIU wrote to the banks and asked for all the bank account information of the journalists.
The information being sought is whether there are any bank lockers, savings cards, credit cards and other financial instruments in their name or whether money has been transacted or not.
The journalists include nine editors, former editors, and organisational heads.
The letter was signed by the information ministry’s Deputy Secretary Mohammed Masud Khan.
The journalists whose information has been sought are Naeem Nizam, editor of Bangladesh Pratidin, Farida Yasmin, former president of Jatiya Press Club, Zayedul Hasan Pintu, head of news, DBC News, Subhash Singh Roy, editor-in-chief of abnews24.com, Haider Ali, executive editor of Kaler Kantha, J.I Mamun of ATN, Bangla Insider Editor Syed Borhan Kabir, Bangladesh High Commission Press Minister in New Delhi Shaban Mahmud, City Editor of Bangladesh Protidin Mirza Mehdi Tamal and Chief Reporter Zulkarnain Rono, Samakal Editor Alamgir Hossain, Madhusudan Mandal of BSS, DBC’s Masud Ayub Curzon, Executive Editor of Amader Somoy Mainul Islam, Journalist Faraji Ajmal Hossain, Ashok Chowdhury of Baisakhi TV, Executive Editor Rahul Raha, Editor of Daily Sun Rezaul Karim Lotus, Deputy Chief News Editor of News 24 Ashikur Rahman Shraban, Special Correspondent of Jugantor Abdullah Al Mamun, Former Editor of Swadesh Pratidin Rafiqul Islam Ratan, Editor of Dainik Mukhopatro Sheikh Jamal Hossain, DBC News’ Special Correspondent Aditya Arafat, ATN News Special Correspondent Tauhidul Islam Sourav, Special Correspondent of Jugantor Sheikh Mamunur Rashid, Journalist Shyamal Sarkar, City Editor Ittefaq Abul Khair and Daily Kalbela Editor and Administrator Santosh Sharma.
The list also includes
Ashish Saikat, journalist of the private television channel Independent Television. And Naeem Tariq, the Chief News Editor of DBC News.
In addition, the press accreditation cards of 20 journalists were cancelled, as per another directive issued by the information ministry on October 28.
There is huge corruption in the country, nothing has been done about the fact that thousands of crores of Taka are being smuggled, but it has been done to minimize the journalists in the society, to undermine their rights.
In order to intimidate journalists, to stop their pens, this letter has been given to call the bank accounts of journalist leaders selectively.
Also to spread fear and create a negative perception about the journalistic society that journalists are wealso corrupt.
But the pen of journalists cannot be stopped by intimidation.
NS/RS