The Black Day for the newspapers is being observed across the country today, commemorating the banning of all newspapers except four on this day in 1975.
On June 16, 1975, the then Awami League government led by the country’s founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman shut down all print media, except for two state-run newspapers, Dainik Bangla and Bangladesh Times and two privately owned newspapers.
Since 1976, the journalist community has been observing June 16 as the ‘Black Day for Newspapers’.
To mark the day, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) jointly organized a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club (JPC) today.
BNP Standing Committee member and convener of the Bangladesh Sammilito Peshajibi Parishad, Professor AZM Zahid Hossain attended the event as the chief guest.
Prominent journalist leaders and noted intellectuals also joined the programme. In addition, various political parties and organizations held separate events to mark the day.
Following the adoption of the Constitution in 1972, the then government passed the controversial Fourth Amendment in 1975, which was widely criticized as anti-democratic.
This amendment paved the way for a one-party ruling system under BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League) and on June 16 of that year, the BAKSAL regime ordered the closure of all but four newspapers.
In November 1975, after coming to power through the Sepoy-Janata uprising, former President Ziaur Rahman reintroduced multiparty democracy and restored press freedom, officially ending the BAKSAL-imposed media restrictions.
Journalist leaders have alleged that even after returning to power in 2009, the Awami League government continued to exert pressure on the mass media, curbing journalistic freedom through various means.
Source: BSS
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