So Far So Good

"How’s your new job?" one of my friends asked me after I joined banglanews24.com in last December to undertake the responsibility of law and human rights and "So far, so good" was my instantaneous response to his query. And it was going on so far, so good at least for next two months.

It was February 11; I going to the office in the morning had a glimpse on our news portal and had become astounded to see the news of journo-couple murder. Like me, all citizenry of the country were remorseful and remonstrated the incidents and now they are just mourning the tragic event which will be forgotten like many others.

That was not the end of the course of attack on journalists; rather the year of attack on journalists had begun which is evident even this month of May. And since then, no record of punishment or the reprimand is seen to alleviate our mental agony.

However, very recently, several incidents happened against the journalists by police. The reporter of RTV was assaulted by a leader of the ruling party with impunity. Many such incidents had happed within the last couple of months in the country. And none of those could be chastised and brought to justice. The perpetrators are at flee and thumbs are shown to law and order.

Attacks on journalists are rapidly increasing and it will puff up in future if could not be brought to justice. Some miscreants on Monday chopped some nine journalists and office staff of the country’s first online news portal; bdnews24.com. Some local scoundrels have carried out this offense on journalists at the office premise. Some journalists were critically injured and are hospitalized. This outlandish incident took place at the office of the bdnews itself; which never had happed in the country and is rare of this type.

The day following that night had experienced another attack on some journalists by the police; the protectors of the human rights.
 
The justice seeker teenage girl and her parents were assaulted by the police. It was reported in almost all the dailies that they went so far as to abuse the girl and her mother physically. When some lawyers and journalist protested the role of the police at the event, they were attacked by them and reportedly to have been beaten by them.  

After all such incidents, we observe that some so-called departmental investigation conducted and in few cases the responsible police officials are reprimanded which seems some sort of departmental demonstration of lawlessness. Even when we see the intervention of the High Court, we see no such incidents where the responsible police were punished or were at least sacked. So, the protectors of law remain above law. If they are punished and sacked, who will protect us and who will protect the law and order situation and human rights of the mass?

So, for the status quo, Shamsul Haque Tuku has advised the citizenry especially the journalists to stay away from police while in action. And we know that in this particular case on abusing the girl, police was in action. As per advice of the state minister, the concerned journalists and the lawyers should have kept away from the police. For not doing this, police had act against the journos and lawyers.

If we could stay away from police, such untoward incidents would not have happened. He was very true to his position as a state minister of home affairs should do. The action and inaction by the police is the major concern of the country which simultaneously concerns the government we believe. But from the government’s part, we do not see and remarkable action or even the comments which is commendable to the people.

Regrettably enough for us that the government of ours forgets the past and thus our future always face challenge by various thorny incidents, activities and so one by the state and non-state actors.

Persistent and serialized attacks on the journalists have crippled the right to freedom of thought, speech and opinion and above all our right to know is at risk.

We want to stay so far so good not so good and we do not dare to imagine a better days for our journos of the day as we know so away from police is so good for journalists as advised by our state minister of Home Affairs. But being a democratic government, AL should stay away from such awful ministerial forethought and departmental accomplishments.

EAP