Dhaka, journalist arrested for exposing price rises
In the article written by Shamsuzzaman Shams on the occasion of Independence Day, the words of a day labourer were quoted: 'What is this freedom for if we cannot afford rice? A lawsuit was also filed against the editor of the Prothom Alo newspaper, the largest and most influential in Bangladesh. Concern about press freedom from journalists' associations.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams of the daily Prothom Alo has been arrested on charges of publishing 'fake' news after an article of his reporting on price increases in the country went viral. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Matiur Rahmanl, was also investigated under the Digital Security Act.
The story dates back to 26 March, when, on the occasion of Bangladesh Independence Day, in the online section of Prothom Alo (which means 'first light' and is the country's largest and most influential newspaper) a news item was published with a day labourer's statement saying: "What is the use of this freedom if we cannot afford rice?", underlining a general discontent with the rising price of foodstuffs.
The news item was accompanied by a photo of a child looking through a gap in the grille of a memorial. Prothom Alo corrected the news after a heated discussion arose on social media: 'Due to an inconsistency between the title of this report and the image used, it has been removed and the title has been corrected,' the newspaper said.
On 29 March, Shams was arrested by members of the Police Criminal Investigation Department at his home in Dhaka. Golam Kibria, a resident of the Mirpur area, filed a lawsuit accusing the journalist of publishing 'false and fabricated' news. Yesterday, the court sentenced Shams to jail despite a bail application.
The Bangladesh Newspaper Owners' Association condemned Shams' arrest and expressed concern about the charges against editor Matiur Rahman, calling the actions of the Police Force in recent days 'unacceptable': the enforcement of the Digital Security Act against the editor of Prothom Alo 'amounts to harassment and intimidation of the courageous journalism of his newspaper', the journalists' statement read. "At the same time we find the increasing use of the Digital Security Act against reporters alarming. We have voiced our criticism of the legislation at various levels of government. Such a law is not compatible with ideas and ways to build free expression, independent journalism and a progressive society."
The Editor Parishad, the association of editors of the country's leading newspapers, also expressed the same position. In a separate communiqué yesterday, the two organisations called for the withdrawal of the lawsuit filed against Matiur Rahman, the release of Shams and the immediate repeal of the Digital Security Act, and also called for the withdrawal of all lawsuits filed against journalists.
According to the latest World Press Freedom Index compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders, Bangladesh ranks 162nd out of 180 countries, behind Russia and Afghanistan.
Between yesterday and today there were protests by activists and students at Jahangirnagar University and Dhaka University against Shams' arrest.
Yesterday, the Information Minister, Muhammad Hasan Mahmud, insisted that Prothom Alo's news was false: 'This kind of news hurts the foundations of the country. This kind of news is against the state, society and freedom. According to everyone it is a crime, a digital crime. If a journalist commits a crime, won't he be punished? The case will proceed as planned."
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