The Overseas Correspondents Association Bangladesh (OCAB), a platform of journalists representing international media, has condemned barring of its President Nazrul Islam from travelling abroad, calling the move unlawful and a violation of press freedom.
Nazrul Islam, who represents German news agency DPA, was stopped at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 3 May while preparing to board a flight to China.
Immigration police reportedly questioned him about his profession and role as OCAB president before informing him that he could not travel due to “no clearance from security agencies.”
Nazrul later wrote on Facebook that officials provided no valid reason for preventing his departure.
In a statement on Tuesday, OCAB said the incident was “unwanted, unexpected and a clear violation of basic rights to travel.” It was an attempt to instill fear and confusion among journalists, it added.
The association also said the timing was particularly regrettable, as the travel ban occurred on World Press Freedom Day, when Bangladesh and the global community were pledging to uphold press freedom.
Just a day earlier, OCAB had urged the government and political stakeholders to guarantee journalists’ safety, release those detained arbitrarily, withdraw disproportionate charges, reform restrictive laws, and strengthen protections against cyber threats.
“This incident undermines the rights of journalists and sends a chilling message,” OCAB said, calling on the government to immediately clarify the matter and halt such repressive acts.
OCAB General Secretary Julhas Alam signed the statement, reiterating that harassment of journalists must end if Bangladesh is to uphold its commitments to press freedom.
