United News of Bangladesh

The government has formed a central committee to review and process the withdrawal of cases filed for political harassment at different times. A notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday said the six-member committee will examine such cases and recommend steps for their withdrawal where appropriate. The committee will be headed by the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as its convener. Other members include the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, an Additional Secretary or Joint Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry, the officer-in-charge of the Law-1 branch of the ministry, and a representative from the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law not below the rank of Joint Secretary. The in-charge of the Law-1 branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs will serve as the member-secretary of the committee. According to the terms of reference, the committee will review recommendations sent by district-level committees and identify cases that can be withdrawn. It will then prepare a list of such cases and take necessary steps for their withdrawal. The Ministry of Home Affairs will provide secretarial support to the committee. The notification said the committee will meet as required and may include additional members if necessary.

The Editors' Council on Wednesday urged the government to withdraw false and harassing cases filed against journalists. In a statement, the council said that since August 5, 2024, many journalists have been falsely accused in murder and other cases. Some journalists are still in jail, while others are being forced to appear in court regularly. “These cases are seriously obstructing journalists’ professional work and harming the independent environment of the media,” the statement said. Editors' Council voices concerns over new clause in Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance It said that if there are specific and evidence-based allegations against any journalist, those should be dealt with under existing laws through a transparent judicial process. The Editors' Council said that in the interest of justice, proper investigation and due legal process must be ensured. “But harassment and motivated cases are not acceptable under any circumstances.” The council mentioned that it had repeatedly requested the interim government to withdraw the false and motivated cases and to take effective steps to stop the harassment of journalists. “The interim government assured us that the cases would be reviewed and that steps would be taken to withdraw false and harassing cases. But unfortunately, we have not seen the expected progress in this matter,” the statement added. Broad cancellation of press accreditation threatens free press: Editors' Council The council strongly urged the newly elected government to treat the issue as a priority and to take swift steps to withdraw the cases filed against journalists. It reiterated that ensuring media freedom and professional safety is a fundamental commitment of a democratic state and expressed hope that the government would act accordingly.