What is the use of this freedom if we can't afford rice?"quote lands journalist in jail

[Imran Khan]

'Can't afford rice' quote lands journalist in jail​

• • Published
    

• • 15 hours ago

Image source, Sazid Hossain
Image caption,
Mr Shams appeared in court but was denied bail and taken to jail
By Anbarasan Ethirajan
BBC News

A journalist at a leading Bangladeshi newspaper has been jailed on charges of publishing "false" news after his report on high food prices went viral.
Samsuzzaman Shams of Prothom Alo daily appeared in court and was denied bail, a day after he was arrested.
His story - which ran on 26 March, the country's Independence Day - is alleged to have "smeared the government".
Rights activists have denounced the arrest and accused the government of stifling press freedom.
The government denies the allegation but media rights groups have warned of a steady erosion in freedoms under the governing Awami League, in power since 2009.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Bangladesh 162 out of 180 countries in last year's World Press Freedom Index, below Russia and Afghanistan.

The paper Mr Shams works for is Bangladesh's largest and the most influential daily. It was not immediately clear how long he would stay in jail.
The reporter was picked up at his home outside Dhaka early on Wednesday morning by plain-clothes officers.
His employers had no idea of his whereabouts for nearly 30 hours as police and other security agencies said they had no information on him.

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The report for which Mr Shams was detained featured ordinary Bangladeshis talking about their lives on Independence Day.
One quotation was from a labourer who asked: "What is the use of this freedom if we can't afford rice?"
The comment was seen to reflect growing worries about escalating food prices, which have soared around the world since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Prothom Alo article was shared by large numbers of people. When the paper posted the report on Facebook, it used a wrong photo of a person.
"Once we realised the error, we immediately pulled it down and issued a clarification under the (amended) report," Sajjad Sharif, the paper's executive editor, told the BBC.
"But we stand by the original report. The quote of the labourer on the food price was genuine," he said.
But supporters of the governing Awami League accused the daily of tarnishing the image of the country.
Police have also launched an investigation against its editor, Matiur Rahman, as well as a video journalist from the newspaper and several other people under the controversial Digital Security Act (DSA).
Law Minister Anisul Haq said Mr Shams had "misrepresented facts with the mala fide intention of creating discontent".

"The case was filed by an individual not by the government. Due process will follow," Mr Haq told the BBC.
He said the editor and the publisher of the daily also had responsibility for the report - and that's why police were investigating them.
The latest developments come amid concerns over the alleged harassment of human rights defenders and media personnel in the build-up to elections later this year.
The Media Freedom Coalition, an initiative by a group of Western nations in Dhaka, has expressed concern over recent reports of violence and intimidation of journalists, including the detention in the Prothom Alo case.
Bangladeshi journalists say there are increasingly under pressure for reporting that is critical of the government of Sheikh Hasina. They say the DSA has created a culture of fear.
According to media rights groups, cases have been filed against around 280 journalists under the DSA since it was enacted in 2018.
Mr Haq says the government is working with media houses on issues concerning the act. "I engaged with them [editors] to remove the fear. We are trying to take the best practices. If the DSA has to be improved we will make rules to do that," he said.

'Can't afford rice' quote lands journalist in jail

A reporter in Bangladesh is jailed on charges of publishing "false" news about high food prices.

www.bbc.com

 

[Sugarcane]

Looks like Bengalis are trying hard to compete, but we are winning hands down.

 

[Black_cats]

He made a false report by giving a school kid 10 taka to say that. As a journalist he shouldn’t have done it. There are many ways to criticize government.

 

[Tom-tom]

Yes let have democracy, instead of roof, food, a good standard of living. Also your daily tookbir to the wite m mortal demi gods blond and blue. They have the same blood as "their actual god son, that also has blonde blu blood". Lets do what our demi God's wants us to do, - that is to blame a relative stable gov that has been getting a country grow beyond any times previously witnessed in recent history, for global crisis they create and control time and time again. And vote BNP in to power alhamdila so they can do their Salat of demi God's of london Westminster and white House of demi God's, the greatest country of the universe.

As previously mentioned our, our demi God's want help our democracy. Soon we shall be bowing and prostinating at the feet of demi God's and not the mighty and one and only and true Allah.

 

[Tom-tom]

Yes let have democracy, instead of roof, food, a good standard of living. Also your daily tookbir to the wite m mortal demi gods blond and blue. They have the same blood as "their actual god son, that also has blonde blu blood". Lets do what our demi God's wants us to do, - that is to blame a relative stable gov that has been getting a country grow beyond any times previously witnessed in recent history, for global crisis they create and control time and time again. And vote BNP in to power alhamdila so they can do their Salat of demi God's of london Westminster and white House of demi God's, the greatest country of the universe.

As previously mentioned our, our demi God's want help our democracy. Soon we shall be bowing and prostinating at the feet of demi God's and not the mighty and one and only and true Allah.

I often wonder when those in influence and power, would rather face being kicked and hurt and beaten by our demi mortal gods of blonde and blu? Than rather accept the condolence gifts of tacky flashy cars, clothes and various other thing . I wonder when will they go with out food for a few days.

I wonder if our very own ppl, will collectively stand behind such a leader? And also endured pain.

All of South Asia and Asia as whole must unite and make a world of peace. The stupidity of paks and bindians must be destroyed.

 

[Tom-tom]

I often wonder when those in influence and power, would rather face being kicked and hurt and beaten by our demi mortal gods of blonde and blu? Than rather accept the condolence gifts of tacky flashy cars, clothes and various other thing . I wonder when will they go with out food for a few days.

I wonder if our very own ppl, will collectively stand behind such a leader? And also endured pain.

All of South Asia and Asia as whole must unite and make a world of peace. The stupidity of paks and bindians must be destroyed.

The problem is that Islam has never been problematic. The moors and morrocans were certainly weren't problematic for these euros, they have rather lifted them up and opened the Pandora box of pain for the entire world.

Does everyone know that Argentina was actually richer and more powerful than u.s in recent history. American Middle class and upper class and skill Americans were actually migrating into the country and permanently settling. Even some American scientists went to that country.

U.s did not have much of an issue, mainly as they are blond and blu and adhere to the same supermist religion.

It is them that problematic to, if you read deep into the social history, political history spanning many yrs and even recently. Their issue has always been fear in otherism , fear and and hatred of "orientalism", ppl like Mr Rhodes. We don't have blind blu.

They seek absolute dominion over is, absolute subjection and over time anilhilation of us.