DHAKA: Supreme Court Bar Association President Khondoker Mahbub Hossain Saturday accused the government of ‘nakedly’ interfering into the run of the media and the administration, which he thinks is an insidious action that strikes at the root of democracy.  

“The puppet government not only arrested Mahmudur Rahman and cancelled the declaration of Amar Desh but also was demolishing country’s democracy,” he said.

The SCBA president let out the lacerating observations while addressing a rally that was organized to protest the arrest and alleged ‘physical torture’ on acting editor of the now-defunct daily Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman.

Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) arranged the rally at the National Press Club, as Mahmud is an engineer by virtue of his academic discipline.

Earlier, the High Court Thursday stayed for three months the government decision canceling the declaration of the Bengali daily—and the paper came out Saturday on a limited scale, through a byway though.

Turning to the Pilkhana carnage, the pro-opposition Supreme Court bar leader demanded publication of the investigation report on the killings of BDR officers.

“The Amar Desh newspaper had been publishing the investigation report as the government did not officially publish it, and it angered the government,” he said, trying to dig out a deeper factor for the Desh destiny.

Speaking at the rally, senior journalist Ataus Samad, who worked as advisory editor of the newspaper, urged the government to act responsibly in its dealings with the journalists and the media.

He called for allowing resumption of the publication of the paper and immediate release of Mahmudur Rahman.

Engineer ANM Akter Hossain, filmmaker Chashi Nazrul Islam, former vice-chairman of the Association of Engineers Bangladesh (AEB) Engineer Reasul Islam and BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi also spoke.


BDST 15:35 hrs June 12, 2010
MM/RS/MMA/FA/MUA