After declaring a curfew on Wednesday, the Bangladesh military began to systematically target journalists for beating and intimidation.
Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by reports of the assault, detention, and harassment of local journalists by security forces attempting to enforce the indefinite curfew imposed yesterday on the capital, Dhaka, and five other cities in response to growing unrest across the country. CPJ is also deeply concerned about warnings to the media from members of the interim government and from the military that have resulted in widespread self-censorship, particularly among broadcast outlets.
1. Wednesday evening at eight thirty. Curfew just started. On Dhanmondi Road #27, in front of my office at BDNews24.com, two of my colleagues, Pervez and Liton, were standing and surveying the curfew situation. Since the [government] press note had stated that a press ID card could be used as a curfew pass, everyone was wearing their ID cards that evening.
Before anyone could understand what was going on, two army jeeps screeched to a halt in front of the office. Five to seven soldiers leapt out. Lenin lifted his ID card and only managed to say, "BDNews…" The soldiers responded "So what!" Then began the indiscriminate beating with rifle butts.
An office clerk ran into the newsroom with the news that Pervez and Lenin were being beaten. Everyone dropped their work and ran downstairs to investigate. Since the elevator was taking too long I made my way down the stairs. On the second floor landing I found Lenin gasping for air. Another colleague was trying to help him. I asked him, "Where is Pervez?" Lenin shook his head, he didn't know.
Not finding Pervez on the first floor, I ran back up the stairs. When I reached the newsroom floor I saw that the elevator door was open. Pervez's large stocky body was covered in sweat; he was having trouble breathing even with his mouth open. I tried to pull him out of the elevator by his arms, but I couldn't. Two other colleagues helped me pull him out.
We carried Pervez and laid him on the sofa at the front desk. Finding University reporter Tanvi close, I asked her to please run and get some water for Pervez. I felt that he would get better if he was able to rest.
Without wasting time I selfishly tried to finish work on my news update… in it I included a small item about the assault on Pervez and Lenin by the soldiers.
2. There is much discussion amongst the journalists in the office about the press note instructions that stated that press ID can be used as a curfew pass. A number of reporters think that the assault on Pervez and Lenin may be unrelated. Some soldiers may have gotten a little overzealous and done this.
Even so the office PBX telephone becomes busy as reporters seek assurance that a press ID is sufficient as a curfew pass. The cell phones have been shut down since 7 in the evening. Only calls from CityCell to CityCell are going through. Still the network wasn't up all the time.
I personally spoke with the police control room duty officer. He told me that they have not yet issued any curfew passes. I informed my bosses about this. They told me that during 11/1/2007 the press did not need curfew passes. Curfew passes will not be required this time either. Besides this issue is clearly spelled out in the press note.
3. After all of this at around 9 PM, I and two other colleagues, Liton and Rommo, leave the office for home on an office-owned CNG auto-rickshaw. All three of us live in Mohammadpur. Before leaving we ensure that everyone has their press ID and that the red PRESS sticker is displayed on the front of the auto-rickshaw. We repeatedly tell the auto-rickshaw driver that if someone signals us to stop, that he stop immediately, and to drive slowly.
The leader is a young Captain, whose gold-rimmed glasses glimmer from the light of the street lamps. He is not wearing a name tag.
At his signal, the soldiers grabbed us by our collars and put us in the jeep. In the meantime a few other soldiers beat a few pedestrians with rifle butts and batons and put them in the jeeps. When some of them took too much time getting in the jeeps they were kicked by the soldiers.
The jeep starts to travel toward the army camp near Mohammadpur Medical College. I recall that this is where the Pakistani army and their collaborators, al-Badr, al-Shams and Rajakars, set up their camp in 1971.
4. After only traveling a little distance a soldier from the jeep signaled a motorcycle rider to stop. The motorcycle rider failed to stop immediately and was chased by the jeep and forced to stop. The soldiers jump out of the jeeps. One group stays behind to guard us. The remainder split up into two groups and surround the motorcycle rider. One group starts to dismantle his motorcycle with their rifles. The other group throws the motorcycle rider to the ground and starts to beat him with the butts of their rifles, with batons and with their boots.
In the quiet of the night, except the sound of pounding of flesh and the movement of the soldiers, it was as if all of the world was frozen still like a frame from a movie. Within an instant that reporter had been turned into a pile of flattened flesh. Then he was picked up and taken away. His motorcycle, which was now a heap of metal, was being pushed away by a few soldiers. And the whole operation was carried out under the command of the gold-rimmed Captain.
The dark and unnamed Major seemed tense and tired. After hearing everything, he said "You see the fate of that journalist. Compared to him, nothing has happened to you." After noticing the bag on my shoulder, the Major said, "Do you have a camera with you? You haven't taken a picture, have you?" I inform him that there is nothing in the bag except some important documents and pens. The Major ordered that everyone should be taken to the Mohammadpur police station.
We whisper to each other that at least we won't be beaten at the police station. If we had been sent to the army camp, it was a certainty that we would get some broken bones.
At the Mohammadpur police station I met some other media journalists and colleagues. Amongst them, the condition of Anis Alamgir, the head of news at Boishaki Television, is dire. The soldiers used wooden bats to beat him mercilessly on both legs. His thick jeans pants were ripped here and there. The OC [officer-in-charge] at the police station had given him a few pain killer tablets. Anis is sitting there with the medicine in his palms, afraid to take them on an empty stomach.
A number of other journalists continue to be picked up for not having curfew passes. Because the OC's office was filling up some of us were moved to the second officer's office. When I saw that there was a land-line phone there, I got to it first and called the chief reporter at my office and quickly relayed to him our experiences. I told him to immediately publish this news on BDNews24.com. Shortly thereafter we saw on the little television in the room that two or three television channels were reporting on our detention and beatings. I realized that my phone call had worked.
5. At around 10 at night the names of the detained journalists were written in the register at the police station. The Major and Captain returned to the police station and yelled at the OC, "Why are these people in your room? Are they your guests or are they detainees? If they are detainees, immediately grab them by the neck and throw them in the lock-up!" The OC could only respond, "Sir, Sir." One by one our names were called and we were put in the lock-up.
I felt sick from the heat and the stench of sweat in the lock-up cell. In the meantime, the journalists started to take stock of how many cigarettes we had amongst ourselves. Because this was going to be a whole night affair. All the stores were closed due to curfew; we would not be able to give money to the police to buy cigarettes. We collectively decide that if anyone lights a cigarette, he can't smoke it alone, he must share it with everyone; brand is not an issue.
After a few minutes one by one our names were called, matched with our ID cards, and we were released by some soldiers. We three journalists who live in Mohammadpur started toward home. Rommo has a land-line phone in his house. We decide that when he gets home he will call the office and inform them that we had been released.
*Note: To all fellow bloggers who have written and protested about our detention and treatment, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude through this post.
He was lucky that he was not taken to DGFI HQ! May be they were running out of space! Nevertheless, my respect for the journalist community increases day by day who sacrifice for their vocation.
Na na Accio_Freedom… that is not completely the point. In fact, that is far away from the point. Are we missing the big picture here? Journalists, being cursed, beaten to near death and not being allowed to do their work?
All right, being cursed at, thats common. Journalists receive that all the time in the line of their work. Not receiving cooperation, that happens often too. But being assaulted, that is: HR Violation, PR Violation, and is it not unethical? We have already seen the frown in the international community regarding this matter. Along with the fact that CSB, Ekushey TV has been told to keep "hush hush," this army should rather do what they Really want to do, rather than playing these games.
BDNews has been known for their great service. They have subscribers all around the world, many big names in the list. And the army dared dragging them into the line, clearly they mean more than they show. And what the big F was this "He is not wearing a name tag?" I don't know who to complain but I am getting sick of their illicit and leg-brained bulls**t. Die.
yes I agree with you very much and coming from a journalist family I am not at all unaware of that. But I was only being sarcastic I guess. Well when I am writing this at this moment hundreds of more journalists and teachers and students might be getting tortured. And to stop this people have to speak up. But again I wonder when will they? Good that Biplob did!
Bangladesh is going through a very dangerous time. Apparently speaking to the BBC or reporting on protests has become tantamount to "anti-state activities". A climate of fear has been created. It is telling that the government's first reaction to the protests after the curfew was imposed was to round up journalists and beat up students. This government is condemning violence by the protesters while engaging in brutal violence themselves.
Ruling by intimidation can only take you so far. Shutting up reporters will not make the stories go away. I am not sure how a government like this can pave the way for democracy when it is incapable of tolerating dissent. Cooler heads need to prevail and this government needs to give serious thought to an exit strategy that does not including brutalizing its own citizens.
The best way to improve this government's image is for this government not to engage in thuggish behavior, not by trying to intimidate reporters into not reporting on the behavior.
BD military and their puppets in power think they can use cattle-prods on the people and get away with it. They are very much mistaken in this respect. Are they so deluded that they believe they can silence the entire country? I realise now that it's not just the politicians in BD who are incompetent scroungers.
I am a major of Bangladesh Army now undergoing command and staff course in DSCSC, Mirpur Cantonment. It really made me feel bad to learn that you and some more journalists were behaved rough by some army officials. And especially the aged journalist with a motorcycle as you narrated. These incidents were really disappointing.
My subject of research was Civil-Military Relationship in BD. (I am undergoing a course to achieve a masters degree). We exchanged views with the reputed journalists in our central class. (For example city editor of Daily Star) Everybody commented that steps must be taken to bring the civil and military society closer. They also opined that there exists an illogical and unexpected gap between the military and the media. US calls the military-media relationship as 'media handling' and we call it media-military cooperation. The members of the defense forces are taught and well briefed how to interact with the media personnel. How did the event, that you narrated, take place really needs an investigation.
However, I'm sure by now you have come to know (as I knew through the news papers) that how the incident in DU was planned and plotted. Actually the reaction by the students through violence was not expected by any spheres of the society.
Some of the journalists were also not very responsible. CSB and ETV journalists may be named.
However, I am looking forward for a harmonious relationship between the military and the media personnel.
SP Mir Ashraf Ali of Bogora Highway impersonated himself as The SP of Bogora for the sake of showdown brought his vehicle for an imperial entrance into the neighborhood of Ulon west rampura riding a conspicuous vehicle, Mitsubishi Pajero Dhaka Metro Gho 116776 getting into 212's building at Ulon Road, West Rampura Dhaka and feasting onto the 3rd. flr. to boost up Monir & spouse Bilu- a crime committing couple being an inflentail member of a crime committing syndicate led by self-proclaimed Matabars specializing in land/house grabbing, lake filling, forgery, harboring creating criminals, running drugs, bribery blackmailing, prostitution, vandalizing, extortion, loan-sharking, encouraging building code violation, oppressing, attacking and ruining a renowned family… joined by Lt. Col. Rashidul Alom CO of RAB-1 he too bringing an extensive vehicles of RAB Dhaka Metro 02-3303 DM Ga 174645 etc in full gear making the area look like a block raid . Later they threatened my family to leave our very own residence or else we will be picked up and/or deface to the extent of being unrecognizable further he will make sure our whereabouts are untraceable.
Lt Col. Rashidul Alom, Dir. RAB-1 & SP Mir Ashraful Islam has been insulating his relatives (monir) and a crime committing syndicate involved in land grabbing, lake filling, harboring creating criminals, selling drugs, bribery blackmailing, prostitution, vandalizing, extortion, loan-sharking, encouraging building code violation, oppressing, attacking and ruining a renowned family….led by 3bros (self-proclaimed Matabars Sheeru Shaulldin, Momean. They have satanically persecuted us for 7dissapated long years by keeping us from earning a living, stopping our source of income, garbling our land records, keeping us under watch round the clock, bringing mobs on hire to scare abuse us ruining our social status calling us insane to take away our credibility, not allowing and allowed other to mix with us, throwing full-sized bricks onto our tin-shed roof like hailstorm, poisoning 6 of my pets dogs &3cats sequentially, distorting post mortem reports, bugging our phones and many more….to many departments we went to for assistance to no succor obviously Lt. Col. Rashid hampered its operation deactivating. Even phoning up to have the transgressors released from prison.