Journos demand immediate repeal of Cyber Security Act
Anti-fascist journalists have demanded the immediate cancellation of all colonial and oppressive laws including Cyber Security Act 2023, Official Secrets Act. In front of the National Press Club on Wednesday, under the banner of 'fascism free media' platform, 9 demands were raised from the human chain of young and old journalists to undermine the rights of the media and establish freedom of speech. Later, the memorandum was given to Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam.
The demands are-
1. In the last 18 years, all media workers fired from all media houses, including BSS, due to political reasons must be reinstated with dignity. And all closed media houses should be opened immediately.
2. All cyber security law, defamation and harassment cases filed against media workers should be withdrawn. Appropriate compensation should be given to all victims of attacks and cases.
3. A special tribunal must be set up to ensure proper justice for the murders of all the journalists killed during the fascist Hasina government, including the journalist couple Sagar-Rooney.
4. 5. Those who believe in the stigmatization of the fallen autocracy Hasina's name of journalists and the anti-values of the society and the country and the larger population and those who harbor toxic attitudes of Shahbagi should be expelled from all media houses.
5. Journalists do not want incompetent and close allies of Ghadanik-Shahbagis to be hastily appointed to the top post of the BSS after August's historic revolution. We want appropriate state action in this regard.
6. In the last 18 years, dictator Hasina's cronies have looted huge sums of money from BSS. The complaint with evidence has been submitted to ACC. The matter should be taken into consideration and proper trial should be arranged and the convicts should be released from the BSS.
7. All colonial and oppressive laws including Cyber Security Act, Official Secrets Act must be repealed immediately.
8. The Integrated Wage Board for Radio-Television-Online and Print should be announced and implemented immediately. And effective policies should be formulated in terms of financial incentives for media and journalists.
9. A dynamic and media-friendly union should be ensured under the leadership of genuine journalists instead of different journalist unions with the same name.
Senior journalist Akhtar Hossain Masud, social activist Md. Shamsuddin, media workers Burhan Uddin Faisal, Kazi Mustafiz and Zainal Abedin Shishir were present during the human-chain and handing over the memorandum.
While speaking as the president of the human chain, Senior journalist and former news editor of BSS, Momtaz Bilkis Banu said, "The sad thing is that even in the post-fascism period, we see that the friends of fascism are being kept alive or being rehabilitated in almost all public institutions including BSS. In some institutions, incompetents and sympathizers of fascism have been appointed to high positions.” The appointment of a new managing director and editor-in-chief in the BSS is exactly the opposite of the dream of building a country based on anti-discrimination ideology that forced the fascist Hasina to flee the country through a bloody revolution. Ever since his appointment, there has been a storm of criticism in the journalistic arena, including on social media,” added Mumtaz Bilkis Banu.
This senior journalist said, "Journos say that in the history of the BSS, no one with such low qualifications has ever been appointed. A review of the biographies of the former managing directors and chief editors of BSS shows that they were of the rank of secretary in terms of age and qualification."
In this regard, Bilkis Banu also expressed anger that the new MD of the BSS is far behind in professional qualifications and age than many journalists currently working in BSS.
