Media won’t be free unless democracy re-established: Khasru

BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury on Monday said media will not be free until democracy is re-established in Bangladesh.

“Those who stay in power undemocratically put pressure on the media,” he told the launching ceremony of Sheershanews on Monday at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the capital’s Segunbagicha area.

Sheershanews Editor Ekramul Haque presided over the function.

Khasru called for maintaining unity to regain democratic, constitutional and political rights of the people including press freedom.

“There is no alternative to this. We want to restore democratic governance in Bangladesh through a fair and impartial election. The longer this process is delayed, the deeper our crisis will be. For the prosperity of Bangladesh, democratic order must be restored as soon as possible. If we can reach that goal with the cooperation of the media and the united efforts of the people, it will be most beneficial for us,” he said.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Ismail Zabiullah, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party) Chairman Mujibur Rahman Bhuiyan Manju, Bangladesh Biplobi Workers Party General Secretary Saiful Haque, and Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan also spoke.

The guests cut a cake and inaugurated the activities of Top News. This is the fourth time that Sheershanews has been launched.

The organisation has been shut down several times before. The editor was arrested in 2011 during the Awami League (AL) regime.

Later, Sheershanews.com and the weekly Sheersha Kagoj were shut down. Sheershanews started its journey in 2009.