Journalists and Freedom of the Press under Threat

Bangladesh is regarded as the most dangerous country in Asia, if not the whole world, for journalists to work. Whoever reports on corruption and crime in this country has to fear for their job, health, and even their life. Christoph Heinzle reports

It was already dark in Chittagong, the large port city in Bangladesh, when the incident took place. On the evening of April 27, reporter Sumi Khan was en route in a rickshaw when she was assaulted by four men with kitchen knives. "You've gone too far," screamed one of them.

"We are going to teach you a lesson." The journalist had frequently reported on kidnappings and extortion for her weekly magazine.

The attackers cut up Sumi Khan's face and left her lying bleeding in the street. The reporter survived – unlike many of her colleagues. "There have been at least seven deaths in the last seven years. And then there are all the attacks and assaults," said the acclaimed journalist Ataus Samad.

"Journalists are beaten up. We can't even keep track any more how often this takes place."

Freedom of the press is a utopia in Bangladesh

Journalist organizations regard Bangladesh as the most dangerous country in Asia, if not the whole world, for colleagues who want to report freely and openly.

"On the one hand, journalists are attacked because they report on crime and corruption, and on the other hand, because what they write offends some political party," Samad explained.

The government disputes this, considers the reports unrealistic, and regards the warnings by international journalist organizations as exaggerated. It sees the attacks on journalists as unrelated to their work. Prime Minister Khaleda Zia recently declared that there is complete freedom of the press in Bangladesh.

In contrast to the period of military dictatorship, direct political pressure on journalists is today indeed rare, concedes the former BBC correspondent Ataus Samad.

Criminals are often protected by politicians

"It is difficult to directly point the finger at politicians. The violence is committed by criminals, yet it is known that they are protected by politicians."

In what experts consider to be the most corrupt country in the world, it is possible to report on cases of bribery, yet dangerous.

Out of fear for their jobs, health, and even their lives, many have become cautious about reporting on crime, such as the widespread protection money racket.

Such stories occur mostly in the south of the country, according to Samad, who publishes a weekly paper. He attempts to protect his employees.

Censorship through physical threat

"I had to ask a reporter, 'Are you sure that we should print this? Will it put you in danger?' Now it is not only the law that limits us, but also physical threats by people who want to suppress information about them. This is now the greatest danger."

Many journalists in Bangladesh already know exactly which politicians are doing business with which gang boss, who is smuggling weapons and is involved in the drug trade, who is bribing, and who is being bribed. They just don't often dare to print it.

Christoph Heinzle

Translation from German: John Bergeron