A press freedom group has called on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government to fulfill its election promise by withdrawing what it deems as politically motivated cases against four senior journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the government to release journalists Farzana Rupa, Shakil Ahmed, Mozammel Haq Babu, and Shyamal Dutta, who have been detained for over 18 months on murder charges.
The CPJ highlighted that no substantial evidence has been presented, and no charge sheet has been filed against the journalists. The arrests under the previous interim government are believed to be in response to their perceived political affiliations, according to the CPJ.
Expressing concern over the journalists’ well-being, the CPJ emphasized the risk to their health and safety due to inadequate medical care during their imprisonment. Rupa, held in a ‘condemnation cell,’ and Dutta, who suffered a stroke shortly after detention, are among those facing health challenges without proper medical attention.
The CPJ urged the government to drop the charges against the journalists and allow them to reunite with their families. It also called for immediate medical care for the detained journalists to safeguard their health.
