Bangladesh
IPI calls for change in treatment of journalistsPosted Mar 17 2009
With the inauguration of new Bangladeshi President Zillur Rahman on Feb. 12, the International Press Institute has called for change in the pressure news organizations face.
Due to weak laws and a shortness of judicial independence, journalists are often harassed by the judicial system for their reports, according to IPI.
In a letter, IPI Director David Dadge praised the dawn of democracy in the 2008 general elections after two years of emergency rule in Bangladesh, and he urged the president to “build on this achievement by strengthening the rule of law and ensuring that the judicial system operates independent of politics.”
During a high-level 2008 IPI mission to Bangladesh, the members met with media and political figures in the country. The mission found that crimes against journalists and judicial harassment of journalists were the two most serious threats to media freedom and investigative journalism in Bangladesh.
IPI applauded the Bangladeshi government’s commitment to democracy during a recent clash by border guards and urged them to investigate crimes against journalists and remove legal barriers for the press.
More information
- International Press Institute