Agency :
Amid the ongoing protests in the country, Bangladesh sports journalists formed a human chain demanding justice for the brutality against students and citizens, and advocating for an equal society.
The human chain, which started at 12:pm on Saturday in front of Gate 1 of Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, saw the participation of over a hundred journalists from various media outlets. The event concluded with a minute of silence to honor those who lost their lives due to the brutality.
ATM Sayeed Uzzaman, Sports Editor of Kaler Kantho, stated, “There are no words to express the grief for what has happened and is still happening this July. I am here not just as a sports journalist, but as a free citizen of a free country. I am deeply saddened and grieving. We should have raised our voices earlier. This brutality must be stopped at any cost. Those responsible have not fulfilled their duties. How many more years do we have to bear the consequences of these incidents? I demand a thorough investigation of each incident, not a mere eyewash.”
Emphasizing the need for an equal society, Sayeed added, “As free citizens of a free country, no one should be deprived of their rights. This country is ours, it does not belong to any individual. We may not have fought the liberation war, but this independence is our pride. It is not someone’s property. Now is the time to realize this.”
I want quality life, not quantity. I want to commute safely from home to office, my child should go to school safely, and my elderly parents should receive proper medical care.”
Shamim Chowdhury, a senior sports journalist from NewsG24.com, spoke about the journalists who were killed while covering the anti-discrimination movement, “We still do not know the exact number of those killed in this movement. We are hearing different numbers from various sources. Among them, 5 journalists lost their lives while performing their duties. On behalf of sports journalists, we pray for the departed souls and demand credible and just investigations into each death.”
Senior sports journalist Noman Mohammad emphasized the future generation, “We are here out of a sense of responsibility. According to a UNICEF report, 32 children have died. That child could have been ours. For whom are we building this country? For whom are we trying to rebuild this country? For our next generation.”
He further added, “If they are not safe in this country, then who is? That is why we, sports journalists, are standing here with a demand – to stop the brutality against students and citizens that has been happening for over two weeks. Let it stop immediately. We demand the assurance of natural death.”