‘Black Day’ for newspapers observed
Staff Reporter :
Journalists, media workers, and press freedom advocates across the country observed the ‘Black Day for Newspapers’ on Sunday, commemorating a dark chapter in Bangladesh’s media history. The day marks the government-imposed shutdown of several prominent newspapers and the curtailment of press freedom.
BNP Standing Committee member Prof Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain has said it’s a wrong for media only to praise the government they favour and never point out their faults.
“You (Journalist) all are eager to praise, but none of you dare to criticize,” he said at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) here on Monday.
Pointing out the pacts signed between Bangladesh and India during Awami League regime, he said, “Ten agreements were signed after discussion, but no journalist dares to ask what those agreements were about. That’s not acceptable.”
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) jointly organized the event marking the ‘Black Day’ for newspapers at JPC’s Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall.
DUJ President Shahidul Islam was in the chair and General Secretary Khurshid Alam conducted the event.
The BNP leader further added, “You (Journalist) need to speak the truth. Because of fascist oppression, many have lost their jobs, many have been persecuted. But today, you’re the ones who have survived, while others have vanished. That is your achievement.”
“When you stand with the truth and the people, you may disappear for a moment-but in the long run, you will stay. Otherwise, like fallen fascists, one day you too may have to flee this country,” he said. National Press Club President Poet Hasan Hafiz, former General Secretary of the Press Club Syed Abdal Ahmed, BFUJ Acting President Obaidur Rahman Shaheen, Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury, former Editor of The New Nation Mustafa Kamal Majumder, Assistant Secretary General Bachir Jamal, Vice Presidents AKM Mohsin and Khairul Bashar, Executive Council Member Shahid Hasnat, DUJ Treasurer Khandaker Alamgir, Organizing Secretary Said Khan, Vice President Rashedul Haque and freedom fighter Khandaker Hasnat Karim Pintoo also took part in the discussion.
Secretary General of BFUJ Kader Gani Chowdhury said Sheikh Mujib pinned the last nail in the coffin of the democracy through closing the newspapers. Mujib had taken the decision to plunge the nation into darkness.
On 16 June, 1975, the then Awami League government led by country’s president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman decided to shut down all newspapers except two government-run and two privately owned dailies.
The then government also took over the ownership of the two privately owned newspapers-Daily Ittefaq and Daily Observer to run those as its entities. Due to the closures of many newspapers, hundreds of journalists lost their livelihoods instantly.