The Law Reporters Forum (LRF) will hold a peaceful sit-in on Wednesday on the Supreme Court premises, demanding the restoration of journalists’ access to courtrooms.
The LRF, widely recognised as the premier organisation for journalists covering the constitution, human rights, and the judiciary, announced that the demonstration will take place in front of the main gate of the Supreme Court starting from 11:30am.
To express solidarity with the journalists’ demand, representatives from various journalist organisations will attend the programme.
Among those present will be Newspapers Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) President Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, and Sampadak Parishad (Editors’ Council) President Nurul Kabir.
Representatives from the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists, Dhaka Reporters Unity, Bangladesh Crime Reporters Association, and Reporters Against Corruption, among other media organisations, will also join to support the cause.
In a letter sent to the media on Tuesday, the LRF stated that journalists’ access to various courtrooms of the Supreme Court, including the Appellate Division and the High Court Division, has been closed since 7 January.
The organisation claimed that this restriction has prevented journalists engaged in directly observing pending case proceedings and gathering news from performing their professional duties.
The LRF added that denying journalists the opportunity to directly observe court proceedings calls into question the transparency of the judicial process, the open justice system, and the public’s right to information.
Through this peaceful sit-in programme, the LRF, with the support of various other journalist groups, will demand the immediate restoration of media access to all courtrooms of the Supreme Court in the interest of professional duty.
