Detained journos ‘involved in crimes against humanity’

Zahed Ur Rahman, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, has said that filing specific murder cases against journalists arrested in connection with the July uprising was a wrong decision.

The adviser, who holds the rank of a state minister, made the remarks during a weekly press briefing at the Secretariat’s Press Information Department (PID)
on Tuesday.

Principal Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed was also present. He also outlined recent initiatives taken by various ministries and departments.

However, he said he personally believes that some of the detained journalists may bear partial responsibility for crimes against humanity, which he described as a far more serious offence than murder.

Zahed said the journalists are currently in custody in connection with specific murder cases rather than genocide-related charges.

He noted that the events of July constituted crimes against humanity, describing them as part of a systematic pattern which, he alleged, had been established earlier through practices such as enforced disappearances.

He further stated that, in his view, the gravity of the alleged actions of some individuals went beyond ordinary murder charges, raising questions about accountability for crimes against humanity. He clarified that this was his personal opinion.

Referring to historical precedents, Zahed cited the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials following the Second World War, where individuals involved in shaping narratives that enabled mass killings were also held accountable.

He also said that even prior to assuming office, he had expressed the view that the specific charges under which some journalists were arrested were inappropriate.

On journalists facing similar allegations who have not yet been arrested, he said the government would take appropriate action where necessary.

Zahed further noted that the Prime Minister has assured leaders of the Newspaper Owners’ Association of Bangladesh that the government would cooperate as far as possible within the limits of the judicial process, emphasising that the executive cannot intervene directly in ongoing legal proceedings.