A journalist is detained for denouncing the rise in prices

It was following an article by Shamsuzzaman Shams on the occasion of Independence Day. In the note, the words of a day laborer were quoted: “What is this freedom for if we cannot buy rice? A complaint was also filed against the director of the newspaper Prothom Allo, the most important and influential in Bangladesh. Concern of journalists’ associations for freedom of the press.

Dhaka () – They arrested journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams, from the daily Prothom Allo, for the publication of “fake” news, after an article of his in which he reported on the rise in prices in the country went viral. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief, Matiur Rahmanl, is also under investigation under the Digital Security Act.

The case dates back to March 26, when, on the occasion of the Independence Day of Bangladesh, a report was published in the online version of the newspaper Prothom Allo (which means “first light” and is the most important and influential newspaper in the country). In the note, the statements of a day laborer were quoted as saying: “What good is this freedom if we cannot buy rice?”, underlining the general discontent over the rise in food prices.

The news was accompanied by a photo of a child peering through a crack in the fence of a memorial. Prothom Allo corrected the story after a heated discussion broke out 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 stated.

On March 29, Shams was arrested by members of the Police Crime and Offense 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 prison, despite the fact that the journalist had applied for bail.

The Bangladesh Newspaper Owners Association condemned Shams’ arrest and expressed concern over the charges against the editor of the newspaper in question, Matiur Rahman, calling the police’s actions in recent days “unacceptable”. The application of the Digital Security Law against the director of Prothom Allo “is tantamount to harassing and intimidating the courageous journalism of your newspaper,” the reporters’ statement said. “At the same time, we find the increasing use of the Digital Security Law against journalists alarming. We have expressed our criticism of the legislation at various levels of government. This law is not compatible with the ideas and ways of building freedom of expression , independent journalism and a progressive society.”

The Editor Parishad, the association of directors of the main newspapers in the country, also ruled in the same direction. In a separate statement, both organizations called for the lawsuit against Matiur Rahman to be withdrawn, demanding the release of Shams and the immediate repeal of the Digital Security Act. In addition, they requested that all lawsuits filed against journalists be withdrawn.

According to the latest world press freedom index, produced annually by Reporters Without Borders, Bangladesh ranks 162 out of 180 countries – after Russia and Afghanistan.

Between yesterday and today there were protests by militants and students at Jahangirnagar University and Dhaka University against the arrest of Shams.

Yesterday, the Information Minister, Muhammad Hasan Mahmud, insisted that the news of Prothom Allo was false: “This type of news damages the foundations of the country. This type of news goes against the State, society and freedom. According to everyone it is a crime, a digital crime. If a journalist commits a crime, right? will he be punished? The case will run its course.”