Dear Editor:
I have attached a article to publish in your well known newspaper. I am giving you authority to edit it if you think. Thanks for considering it.
Sincerely,
Nirmal L. Gomes
Graduate Student in Education, specialty with Admin., Curri, Foundation, & Policy (ACFP) studies, CUA
Washington, DC
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Is Bangladesh Safe Land for the Journalist?
By Nirmal L. Gomes, Washington, DC
Whenever we open the newspapers and turn on TV or radio there are tones of exciting news publish and broadcast. Some news, stories, events, and incidents are so painful and nightmare. Last year it was a time when my attention was brought into an agonizing news report published in more than dozens daily newspapers throughout the Bangladesh about one of the young journalists Zahid Al Amin who was brutally tortured when he was in performing his duty. Presently Zahid has been working in The Bangladesh Observer and Assistant Editor in Our Time. He has been looking for justice since July 22, 2005 (The Bangladesh Observer, March 19 & July 22, 2006, Daily Suprobhat Bangladesh, April 4 & July 22, 2006, Amadershomoy, March 4 & 23, 2006, Daily Janakantha, July 21, August 13, & Jaijaidin, August 9, 2007). On July 21, 2005 he went to Chittagong Medical College Hospital to cover the news of an acid victim Hosne Ara. He was talking to the relatives of severely acid burnt woman who refused to give dowry and burnt body by acid (Daily Naya Diganta, July 22, 2005, Prothom-Alo, July 27, 2005, The Independent, July 28, 2005, Daily Star, July 27, 2005, Daily Suprobhat Bangladesh, July 24, 2005, The Bangladesh Observer, July 24 & 28, 2005, Shangbad, July 28, 2005, and so on). After two years later Chittagong court Judicial Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Abdur Rab ordered the Chittagong Metropolitan Police authorities to conduct further investigation into the case in connection with attacking and torturing journalist Zahid Al Amin (The Daily Star, Feb. 27, 2008).
The patient Hosne Ara succumbed to her injury due to lack of proper treatment at the hospital on the day she admitted in the hospital. Zahid was trying to get true story of the incident and the present condition of the victim. However, he was then brutally attacked and assaulted by some intern doctors and staffs. He was almost killed by those culprit people. He was injured seriously on his head, broken and fractured legs, and so on. By couple of hours continuous tortured in the hospital he became physically, emotionally, and mentally ill. After the incident he filed a case against those criminals, but till today he is not getting justice, rather he escaped from life threats from those criminals and culprits. Immediately Chittagong journalists criticized this incident and demanded justice to the Prime Minister. The Chittagong Union of Journalists (CUJ) and Chittagong Metropolitan Union of Journalists (CMUJ) also demanded justice submitting the memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong. Indeed, the nationwide journalists also strongly criticized this incident and demanded justice.
A village boy Zahid had a dream to be a great journalist. With this long vision he got admission at the Department of Communication and Journalism in Chittagong University. Due to his freelance writings he became well known to the regional as well as the national level as a young journalist. During his studies he started to work for local English and Bengali newspapers, i.e. The Daily Life, The Bangladesh Observer, and Daily Noya Diganta. A dream taking him into action, Zahid started to tell the nation and world the true stories of various issues by his creative writings. A staff reporter of The Bangladesh Observer at this time who has been in anxiety and wondering for his life when he will be attacked again. He has been receiving threats over by phone, the criminal attempted to kidnap Zahid on his way to office at evening. He has been getting pressure by the culprits to withdraw the case from Chittagong police station that he filed against those culprits in Chittagong. Zahid registered a general diary (GD) with Motijheel police station in this connection.
However, rather than bringing justice of those criminals till they are holding their big position in Chittagong Medical College and Hospital. Not only that! Before 1/11 the government rewarded some of those people by posting them to Dhaka with responsible positions. More than two years past of this incident, till today the police can not identify criminals and even can not give any warrant against those criminals. Till today Zahid hopes he will get justice, but when?
Justice not yet ascetic and justice not yet exiled from Bangladesh. It has been seen that the present caretaker government has been willing to solve many pending cases that previous political government did not solve those cases due to lack of neutrality of the government. Moreover, the caretaker government vows to clean-up corruption with zero tolerance in Bangladesh. The government has been trying heart and soul to bring corrupted people into justice, which has appreciated by home and abroad. Writing of the journalists is the mirror of the nation. Indeed, the caretaker government encourages true news report and reinforces media to be more accountable for their report writings. Their writings open the eyes of the government and citizens--what is right to do or what is not supposed to be done, and what should be more concern in order to develop the nation.
In 2006 the International media watchdog, reporters without borders, has ranked Bangladesh one of the most dangerous countries for journalists (VOA News). Every one knows very well that journalism is one of the high distinguish profession, but it is a high life risk profession in many countries. WAN reported that in 2007 about 84 media employees killed including 1 killed in Bangladesh. Before October 2006 last five years 11 journalists have killed in Bangladesh (Daily Janakantha, Oct. 28, 2006).
Today�s journalism is more dangerous than ever. In the past decade more than 500 journalists have killed throughout the world, often for simply doing their jobs. These murders were direct attack on journalists, not only on individuals, but also on society as a whole. Yet very few of the killers were ever brought into justice (Editors Webdog, Oct. 6, 2006). For Zahid Al Amin it was not wrong to be born in Bangladesh; it was not wrong to be a journalist, and to write the true story for the people! Why he was brutally tortured by doctors, interns, and staff of a public hospital on July 21, 2005? Is Bangladesh the safe place for Zahid or any journalist? This question strongly rises in the nation and abroad. Till today he gets death threat repeatedly from the culprits. When will Zahid be able to walk freely in Bangladesh? When he will be able to sleep at home without any fear? Will the journalists in Bangladesh get enough protect to do their job without any torture and killing threats?
In this situation the nation believes that getting legal cooperation and action from present caretaker government which can solve Zahid�s case and will bring justice for Zahid. The nation and world look for justice for all journalists along with all citizens in Bangladesh.
Email: Gomes@cua.edu or Nirmalgomes@aol.com
Tel. & Fax: 301-937-0380, Tel: 301-633-1169 (cell)
March 16, 2008
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