PRESS RELEASE FOR MASHIK BANGLA MUKTIDOOTH (The Monthly Muktidooth) http://themonthlymuktidooth.blogspot.com Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PRESS RELEASE FOR MASHIK BANGLA MUKTIDOOTH (The Monthly Muktidooth) http://themonthlymuktidooth.blogspot.com Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Repression on journalists continuinues as people from intelligence agencies are harassing veteran journalists and National Press club president Mr Shaukat Mahmood.

Not only that government backed Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders have filed defamation suits with court in Khulna and Dhaka against Mr Mahmood.

Different Natinal journalist forums condemned the harrassment saying that it exibits the fascist nature of the government.

Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalist (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalist (DUJ) in a press staement said Mr Shaukat Mahmood always stands by oppressed and harassed journalists.

BFUJ president Ruhul Amin Gazi and general secretary M A Aziz and DUJ president Abdus Shahid and general secretary Mohammad Baker Hossain in a joint statement when journalists are facing harassment by the government backed people, very few people show their courage and stand by them.

And Mr Shaukat Mahmood is one of the very few who is very vocal against the repression on the journalists.

The joint staement said that Mr Shaukat has elected as president of the press club twice with huge margins and the government backed journalists has become laughing stocks by declaring him 'person a non grata'.

Members of the club will decide who will be president and who will not and leaders of any union have no authority in this regard.

Mr Mahmood has already expressed his regret about the remark he against the state minister for the law and union leaders should stop mud - slinging and stand by the oppressed journalists under a united forum, the staement said.

A Dhaka court on Sunday asked Mr shaukat Mahmood to appear before it on April 28 on charge of making derogatory remarks against Bangabondhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Metropolitan magistrate Mehedi Hasan Talukder issued the order after hearing a case wednesday morning with Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

Complainant Advocate Mohamad PK Abdur Rob accussed Shaukat, also president of the National Press Club, of making comments against Bangabondhu and the prime minister at a BNP rally in Cox's Bazar on march 20.

Earlier on Thursday, Advocate Moshiur Malek, president of Bangabondhu Foundation, filed a case against Shaukat with the same court for terming stae minister Qamrul Islam ' a Battalar Ukil'. The court had asked him to appear before it on April 11 in this case.


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