Muhammad Atiqur Rahman :
Local journalists have formed a human chain and protest program demanding to free Gazipur Press Club from fascism, protest against the attempt to rehabilitate the accomplices of fascism, and the trial of some controversial journalists.
On Wednesday (July 1), journalists from various organizations including Gazipur Press Club and Bangladesh Journalist Torture Prevention Association jointly organized the program.
Leaders of various journalist organizations in the district expressed solidarity in this human chain held in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. After the human chain, a protest procession was taken out. Later, the journalist leaders submitted a written memorandum to the Information Advisor and Home Advisor through the Deputy Commissioner.
In the memorandum and human chain, the speakers alleged that for the past 16 years, some individuals who were in the leadership of the Gazipur Press Club had undeclaredly turned the club into the office of the then ruling party. They abandoned their professionalism and carried out various party programs and political activities inside the club. The human chain claimed that this group had amassed huge wealth and illegal benefits by flattering the then influential ministers, MPs and former mayors and through misreporting.
The speakers also said that after the overthrow of the autocratic government in the student-public uprising on August 5, the controversial committee of the club was dissolved in the face of the movement of professional journalists and a ‘supervisory board’ was formed. But it has been alleged that the collaborators of fascism are again trying to rehabilitate the leaders and activists of banned organizations in the club.
Journalist leaders said that the leaders of the former committee called an illegal meeting last Sunday (June 28) in violation of the ban of the club’s supervisory board and the constitution. Leaders and activists of the banned organization were allowed to attend there.
Also, last Monday (June 29) at a fruit festival organized in the hall of the press club, Shawkat Osman, a fugitive leader of the banned Awami League, known to be close to former city mayor Jahangir and minister Mozammel, was made the chief guest. The program was conducted by a leader of the banned organization, which angered ordinary professional journalists.
From the human chain, journalists raised various slogans including ‘Let’s protest, let’s end fascism, let’s make Gazipur Press Club safe’ and ‘Gazipur Press Club must be freed from fascism’. They demanded immediate expulsion and trial of journalists known to be close associates of controversial police officer (former SP) Harun-or-Rashid and former mayor Jahangir Alam from the club. The leaders gave a clear warning that if the membership of those who help to sustain the dictatorial regime is not cancelled, the general members will announce a strict program.
The human chain, chaired by Abu Bakkar Siddique, President of the Bangladesh Journalist Torture Prevention Association, and moderated by Mazharul Islam Kanchan, was addressed by senior member of the supervisory board of Gazipur Press Club Md. Delwar Hossain, members Fardin Ferdous, Mohammad Asaduzzaman Saad, Professor Abul Hossain Chowdhury, Khorshed Alam, Professor Ziauddin Ahmed, Hafizur Rahman, Monir Hossain Sarkar, Manjurul Haque Gazi, Golam Rasul Dinar, among others.
At this time, journalist leaders from different upazilas of Gazipur participated and strongly demanded that the Press Club be completely free from political influence.
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