Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) has expressed strong condemnation and protest following the filing of a case at Savar Model Police Station against its permanent member and TIMES of Bangladesh Senior Reporter Md Kamruzzaman Khan.
In a statement issued on Wednesday on behalf of the DRU Executive Committee, DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and General Secretary Mainul Hasan Sohel stated that Md Kamruzzaman Khan has been listed as accused number 18 in the case.
The case explicitly names 40 individuals alongside 20 to 30 unidentified people.
The DRU leaders pointed out that the First Information Report (FIR) lacks specific allegations and fails to provide clear evidence regarding Kamruzzaman Khan’s alleged involvement. They warned that using legal cases to harass journalists or exert professional pressure on them is alarming for independent journalism.
Highlighting that Md Kamruzzaman Khan has not resided in Savar for a long time, the DRU leadership stressed that implicating him in an incident that occurred in Savar requires a proper investigation.
They called upon the relevant authorities to refrain from taking harassing measures against anyone without specific and verifiable evidence.
The organisation added that any complaint against a journalist must be resolved through an impartial probe and due legal procedure. If the investigation reveals no truth to the allegations, necessary steps must be taken to discharge Md Kamruzzaman Khan from the case.
DRU President Abu Saleh Akon and General Secretary Mynul Hasan Sohel strongly demanded that the relevant authorities ensure no professional journalist faces harassment and guarantee a neutral investigation into the case.
