Asia Media Forum Condemns Threats to Bangladeshi Editor

Asia Media Forum (AMF) is deeply concerned that Nurul Kabir, editor of the Dhaka-based daily 'New Age', one of the most democratically oriented newspaper in South Asia, has received death threats twice in last four days for his bold journalistic comments against terrorism and violence.

Kabir is known in the region for his journalistic activism, both print and electronic, against undemocratic forces, public and private, responsible for deficit of democracy, underdevelopment and various social and economic injustices inflicted on the millions of people in his own country and beyond.

Reports say a caller asked Nurul Kabir on February 23 to stop writing as well as speaking against terrorism and violence otherwise his family and he would have to face death. The second death threat came from the same callers February 26.

We strongly believe that the death threat issued to Kabir amounts to a threat to democratic freedom of journalism and right to the freedom of expression, and therefore strongly condemn the incident.

In this regard, we urge the government of Bangladesh to find out the criminals issuing the threat to Kabir and his family and bring the culprits to justice.

In this connection, we note with deep concern that the government of Bangladesh has not been able to find out and punish the armed hoodlums who chased Nurul Kabir’s car in March last year. We request the government again to find out the forces in the dark intimidating the reputed editor for his works and punish them to ensure unhindered freedom of journalism committed to the public cause.

— Shafqat Munir, Secretary General, AMF Core Group