Journalist butchered
Farida Shaikh, On e-mail
I was stunned to read about the exceptional demonstration in Rajshahi by journalist Jahangir Alam Akash who remained standing for two hours, his eyes and mouth fastened with black cloth and his hands tied up behind with a rope. A banner over his chest asked the question: who is the next target? However, the small size black and white photo in the DS was a point of disappointment. On this occasion even the news coverage by the DS national desk was not adequate. When I say this, it occurs to me that in the none- too-distant future this same demonstration by journalist JAA will be focused upon through the lenses of some foreign journalists and find place in the gallery of world press photo journalism. It is indeed sad to see such poor coverage of such a significant event. Your editorial boldly upheld the role of the journalists as defending the people's right to know (information). In elaborating this role the quality of information, that is, "to voice the truth" has been addressed. This is the danger point. For, once upon a time many of us believed that there are some things that even money cannot buy, for example love, truth justice etc. This is a myth of yesteryears. Money can purchase all these things today. Every Sunday your newspaper provides an exclusive page on "Law and our Rights" It is time that a column or a section in this page be devoted to issues and implications of freedom of the press. A column titled "did U know" with a list of two or more names of eminent journalists lost on account of unnatural death could be added. In giving such coverage the DS and we, the readers, would be paying due homage to all the journalists who lost their lives while "defending the people's right to know".
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