Suspended BNP leader Bilkis Akhter Jahan Shirin has filed a harassing defamation case against Barishal Press Club senior member, Daily Jugantor and NTV Barishal Bureau Chief Akhtar Faruk Shahin.
Barishal Press Club President Aminul Islam Khasru, Vice President Humayun Kabir, General Secretary SM Zakir Hossain, Joint General Secretary M. Mofazzel along with the executive committee leaders and members/associate members of the Press Club have expressed strong condemnation, protest and outrage at this incident on Saturday.
In a statement signed by Press Club Office Secretary Nasir Uddin, the leaders said Akhtar Faruk Shahin is a professional journalist. In consequence of publishing news, BNP Central Committee Organizing Secretary ( suspended) Bilkis Akhter Jahan Shirin, claiming herself to be innocent, has filed a harassing defamation case against Shahin.
We want to question — if you are innocent, why did BNP’s highest policy-making forum suspend all your organizational and party posts including the position of Organizational Secretary after the mass uprising of August 5, 2024? If publishing news is a crime of a journalist, then was suspending your post by BNP also a mistake and intentional? Without any investigation on the published news, did the party take organizational action against you?
We believe Bilkis Akhter Jahan Shirin has personally filed the case against professional journalist Akhtar Faruk Shahin only to gain political advantage. Which, in an impartial state, is an obstacle to independent journalism and an attempt to muzzle the voice of the media. Such acts do not suit a prudent leader like her.
We call for the immediate withdrawal of the harassing and farcical case filed against journalist Akhtar Faruk Shahin and to become supportive of free journalism. Otherwise, Barishal Press Club leaders have warned of building a strong movement on the streets along with media workers of all levels in Barishal.
