TIB condemns late-night detention of journos
Staff Reporter :
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Sunday strongly criticised the late-night detention of journalists from an online news portal, calling the incident a disturbing example of intimidation that risks deepening a climate of fear for the country’s media.
At a press conference titled “Referendum and pre-election situation: TIB’s observations,” held at the organisation’s office, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman expressed what he described as “strong protest and grave concern” over reports that 21 media workers were picked up from the office of online news portal Bangladesh Times in Dhaka’s Nikunja area the previous night.
“Taking all employees of an institution late at night without any specific allegation is completely unacceptable,” he said, warning that such actions undermine press freedom and democratic norms.
Raising questions about accountability within the security apparatus, Iftekharuzzaman asked whether army officers could carry out such an operation without authorisation from the highest level. “If they can, then where does the army’s command and control stand?” he said.
His remarks followed reports that army personnel conducted an operation at the Bangladesh Times office on Saturday night. Speaking to the media on condition of anonymity, a mobile journalism (MoJo) reporter from the outlet said the operation came shortly after a report involving the army chief had been published earlier in the day.
The reporter said those present in the newsroom were taken away but could not confirm the exact number of journalists detained.
When contacted, Khilkhet Police Station’s Inspector (Investigation) Ashiqur Rahman said a joint forces operation had taken place in the Nikunja area on Saturday evening, but added that he was not aware of any operation targeting a media office.
The army offered a partial account of events.
Lt Col Mahbub Alam of the army’s Haji Camp, a temporary camp in the area, told The Business Standard that several “journalists from Bangladesh Times were brought to the camp for questioning.”
He said some had already been released after interrogation and that questioning of a few others was ongoing at the time.
All would be released, he added, noting that details regarding the reasons for the questioning and the number involved would be disclosed later.
At 11:38pm on Saturday, Bangladesh Times said in a Facebook post that all of its employees had been released.
Commenting further, Iftekharuzzaman said that regardless of any justification offered, the incident set an “extremely negative and coercive precedent” for free journalism in the country.
“If there is any objection to a news report, there are proper legal and institutional mechanisms to address or protest it,” he said.
“But abducting employees in such an authoritarian manner, even if they are later released, sends a very harsh message.”
He warned that the episode was not only alarming for the affected outlet but had also created an intensely intimidating environment for the broader media community, particularly at a time of heightened political sensitivity ahead of the referendum and national elections.
Iftekharuzzaman urged the army and other state agencies to refrain from such actions and stressed the need for concrete steps to ease what he described as growing pressure on free media in Bangladesh.