BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has expressed deep concern, anger and strong condemnation over the fact that Prothom Alo’s own reporter Shamsuzzaman Shams, who is working in Savar, was taken away from his home in the early hours of the night.
In a statement after 10:30 pm on Wednesday (March 29), the BNP Secretary General said that the removal of a journalist from his home in the early hours of the morning is an expression of the fascist behavior of the government.
In the statement, Mirza Fakhrul said, such oppressive behavior is proof again that there is no freedom of media in the country. In the style of catching a top terrorist, a journalist was picked up in the dark of night by an army, defeating the barbaric invading forces of the 1970s. Even though 16-17 hours have passed since journalist Shams was picked up, the government has not clarified anything about his whereabouts.
He said that the statement of the government ministers along with Obaidul Quader in the case of journalist Shams being picked up has clearly proved that the government wants to suppress people’s protests with the force of guns. Journalists will not be able to talk about the increase in prices of goods through their pen, they will not be able to talk about scarcity. Corruption and misrule cannot be talked about, vote stealing cannot be talked about, injustice cannot be protested against.
Stating that the government is using the Digital Security Act as a tool of torture to establish a reign of fear in the country, BNP Secretary General said, “I immediately demand the unconditional release of journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams and demand the repeal of the Digital Security Act.”