Dear members,

Cleansing operation of Journalists in BSS was initiated by Justice Latifur Rahman led caretaker government and then continued by 4-party alliance Government led by Begum Khaleda. It appeared that that cleansing was complete after driving out the so-called anti-bnp (or and pro AL ) and secular minded journalists. But show cause notice served to six BSS working journalists and order of transfer to two senior journalists Mr.. Akhter Ahmad Khan(Chief News Editor) , BFUJ Secretary General and Mr. Ajit Kumar Sarkar Chief DUJ of BSS Unit to go to Rajshahi and Sylhet respectively indicate that operation cleansing is yet to be completed.  [Kindlly see attachment below for full story].

Ajoy Roy

    On 27^th February, 2002, Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS), the government controlled main News agency of Bangladesh, management sacked 9 of their working journalists. Allegedly these journalists are not sympathetic to BNP philosophy.

    We, with sigh of relief, felt that the operation cleansing is over with advent of the New Year 20002. Surely the Government of Khaleda has right to clean every thing; top to petty officials or individuals in Government service, officers in semi or non semi government organizations, Directors Presidents / GBs of so called autonomous bodies like Bangla Academy, National Museum, Shishu Academy, Shilpa Kala Academy, Nazrul Academy, BSS, Principals of the Government colleges and of course the Vice Chancellors of the Universities, and management bodies of the Private colleges whoever appear to be non pro-bnp element(s), not to speak of any individuals having smell of AL, must be cleaned or sized up. Of course a democratically elected government can not afford to be sabotaged from within. Begum Kahleda must start her second term with absolute clean slate. Philosophically whoever appears to be free thinker, secularists, humanists, or whoever tries to propagate these liberal ideas or speaks of human rights must be taken care of whether they are within the government administration or outside.

    We thought cleansing at BSS is over. But alas, it is not yet over. On 3^rd April, the managing director of BSS again not being sure of total elimination of not-pro-bnp elements asked two of his senior collegaues to pack up and go to Rajshahi and Sylhet. What are their faults ? Well one is R. Akhter Ahmed Khan, Chief News Editor of BSS is Secretary General of BFUJ and other gentleman is Mr. Ajit K Saha, DUJ Cjief of BSS unit. Both these journalist leaders are actively participating in the movement of reinstatement of 9-sacked journalists (on 27^th February).

    Following dismissal of 9 journalists from BSS the leaders of this two organizations took up their case, and rightly so. It is their constitutional obligation to support the cause of their fellow journalists who have lost their jobs for no fault of their own. Their ilegal and more so unethical dismissal is simply, to their eye, an act of political victimization on the part of the BSS management. As a part of their actin programme these two organizations led a Gherao action of the central office of the Manging director of BSS on 3rd A^pril peacefully. The BSS mangement answered showed their reaction by transferring two activitss of the movement outside Dhaka. And Six more journalists were served with show cause notice on 3^rd April.

Here is the full story. 

    Sangbad in its 5^th April issue published the news relating transfer of Mr. Akhter Ahmed Khan, Secretary General, Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), Mr. Ajit Kumar Sarkar, Chief of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) of BSS. They have been served with transfer notice as well as show cause notice. Further to this, six other journalists, all working in BSS have been served with show cause notices. Mr. Amanullah Kabir, Managing Director and Chief Editor of BSS issued the notices.

    About a month back eight journalists were dismissed from BSS. The DUJ has been continuing its programme of action including hunger strike demanding restoration of those journalists to their posts in BSS. Under this back drop BSS authority issued show cause notice(s) to the aforesaid 8 journalists. Six other journalists who received show cause notices are: M. Shahjahan Mian (Chief News Editor of BSS and Erstwhile Secretary General of BFUJ), Amirul Momenin (Senior Sub-editor of BSS and Vice President of BFUJ), Kazi Maksudul Hasan (News Editor of BSS, Azizul Islam Bhuiyan (News Editor of BSS and Ex General Secretary of DUJ), Ataur Rahman (Special correspondent of BSS ) and Nazrul Islam (Senior Sub-editor) . Sangbad made this story with a caption:

Sangbad on 06. 04. 02 in its follow up report says:

    DFUJ and DUJ demanded immediate reinstatement of 9 dismissed journalists of BSS. In a joint statement issued by DFUJ President Mr. Iqbal Sobhan Choudhury and Secretary General Akhter Ahmed Khan, and DUJ President Kazi Rafiq and General Secretary Molla Jalal stated that Manging Director of BSS has issued such notices on 8 senior journalists with a motive of harassing political opponents. The journalists leaders further alleged that BSS management earlier on 27^th February sacked 9 journalists with a view to take political revenge. As a part of action programme demanding immediate reinstatement of the said journalists when DFUJ and DUJ completed their Gherao programmme of the BSS central office in a peaceful manner on 3^rd April, the Managing director of BS in a autocratic manner served show cause notices to those 8 journalists including Chief News Editor. He even illegally issued transfer order to DFUJ Secretary General and DUJ Chief of BSS unit to Rajshahi and Sylhet respectively for their involvement in the union works.

    The leaders asked the BSS management to stop motivated harassment to the journalists of BSS immediately and to bring stability at BSS.