ASK said that such brutal and inhuman act by the police came to the fore when they detained Raghunath Kha, a journalist working in Satkhira and denied to be detained earlier. He was later shown arrested after 9 hours. In addition, a Kaler Kantho journalist named Zahirul Islam was physically assaulted by a police officer while gathering news about a fire in a multi-storey building in Gulshan.
The ASK report also said that the case filed under the Digital Security Act against the editor of Prothom Elo would put pressure on the freedom of press and expression. Such cases will create a culture of fear and insecurity.
The ASK report said that the law minister and other government high officials had promised to take special care before taking up any case against journalists against the Digital Security Act, but this is not reflected in these cases.
Rather, many of the comments made by the persons responsible seem to have encouraged over-zealous people to file cases against journalists, ASK observed.
Referring to the Home Minister’s remark that he had heard that more cases were being registered, while questioning the arrest of Samsuzzaman and the case filed against Matiur Rahman, the ASK said the minister’s remarks were surprising.
Demanding withdrawal of all DSA cases filed against journalists and publicists of independent views, ASK said that the law has already proved arbitrary to all.