Media can’t work freely without democracy, says Fakhrul

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that the media could not work freely without democracy while the Awami League government did not ‘believe’ in democracy.

‘Democracy cannot be established without free media. The media is the key issue in a democracy,’ he said adding the media in Bangladesh was facing a crisis.

Mirza Fakhrul was speaking at a virtual discussion meeting organised by a faction of the Dhaka Union of Journalists to mark the second anniversary of passage of the Digital Security Act in the parliament.

Fakhrul called on all opposition political parties and organisations to be united to wage movement against the Awami League government terming it as ‘autocratic’ and ‘fascist’.

‘National unity is very much necessary for democracy,’ he added.

The country is passing a very critical time and due to the COVID-19 outbreak many professionals, especially journalists, are losing jobs and the government has failed to face the crisis properly, Fakhrul said.

DUJ faction president Kader Goni Chowdhury presided over the meeting.

‘There is no alternative to wage united movement to oust the fascist Awami League government which has remained in power through a farcical general election,’ Fakhrul said.

For restoration of democratic rule in the country, Fakhrul called on all the professional bodies to be vocal against the failures of the government.

Without democracy media cannot work freely, Fakhrul said.

President of a faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Ruhul Amin Gazi, said that during the Awami League rule the media was facing various obstacles and some media houses were forced to close.

Kader Goni Chowdhury called on the government to scarp the Digital Security Act which was used to ‘harass’ journalists.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Miah Mohammad Golam Paror, BFUJ secretary general Mohammad Abdullah, former BFUJ secretary general M A  Aziz, former Jatiya Press Club president Kamal Uddin Sabuj, among others, took part in the discussion.

Source: New Age