LONDON — Several members of the British Bangladeshi community in London staged a protest condemning the recent attacks on the offices of media outlets and the rising threats against journalists in the South Asian nation.
Journalists, other media professionals, activists and members of the British Bangladeshi community participated in the protest, calling out the attacks on the offices of The Daily Star and Prothom Alo in Bangladesh.
The demonstration, organised by Bangla-speaking journalists at the historic Altab Ali Park in East London, strongly criticised the coordinated vandalism, arson, looting, and alleged attempts on journalists’ lives during the attacks on the two media houses in Bangladesh.
The protestors described the attacks as “unprecedented” and “unacceptable”, calling them a “black day” in the country’s media history.
They called for an immediate, transparent investigation into the attacks and held those involved accountable, leading Bangladeshi daily The Dhaka Tribune reported.
Addressing the protest, former BBC Bangla journalist Uday Shankar Das said that although attacks on media houses had occurred in the past, the recent violence represented a disturbing escalation.
“Differences of opinion are natural in a democratic society, but resorting to organised violence is never acceptable,” he stated.
Syed Nahas Pasha, vice president of the Commonwealth Journalists Association, warned that the attacks not only damaged media institutions but posed a direct threat to the lives of journalists.
“This reflects a serious failure of governance,” he said, adding that safeguarding citizens and journalists is a core responsibility of the state.
Asserting that journalists would not be intimidated by the attacks, former General Secretary of the London Bangla Press Club, Muhammad Abdus Sattar, said, “Bangladeshis in the diaspora stand united. We do not want forces that oppose the spirit of the Liberation War to gain ground in Bangladesh.”
Holding banners and raising slogans in support of press freedom, the participants said the gathering reflected solidarity with journalists in Bangladesh and underscored the need to protect independent media as a pillar of democracy.
Meanwhile, the London Bangla Press Club released a statement denouncing the attacks on Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and other media outlets, editors, and journalists in Bangladesh.
The Press Club expressed serious concerns, stating that the arson, vandalism, and assaults amounted to a direct attack on press freedom, freedom of expression, and the people’s right to information, threatening the country’s democratic advancement. –IANS
