Chief adviser鈥檚 press secretary Shafiqul Alam on Thursday said that the interim government would not tolerate any attack on any newspaper.
鈥楴o newspaper or television or any news website was closed after the interim government came. From our side, not a single call was made from the intelligence agencies regarding any news or to take down any reports,鈥� Alam said at a press conference at Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka.
鈥楾here was such a practice in the last 15 years. But nothing was said from our side. If we feel that any news is wrong, we humbly say that this news is wrong, have a look. We said it humbly,鈥� he added.
He also said that many journalists spread rumours knowingly.
鈥榃e are not catching them. We are 100 per cent committed to press freedom. In the last three months, we have not told any media to run any news or not,鈥� he said.
When asked about the cancellation of accreditation of some journalists recently, he said that it was done by the information ministry due to some specific reasons.
鈥楩or the past 15 years, many journalists have聽 been the voice of dictatorship. They have created the ground to suppress the voice of others. Many journalists have incited violence. They should be investigated,鈥� he added.
He said that the government is not doing anything to curtail the freedom of the press.
鈥楳any newspapers, television supported the dictatorship. We are not telling any of them anything. Everyone wants media freedom in Bangladesh, media should be institutionalised,鈥� he added.
Replying to a query, deputy press sectary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said that the statement of the Editors鈥� Council drew the attention of the government.
He said the government was seriously looking into the issue and committed to do whatever necessary if anyone faces any problem.
Expressing deep concern, the Editors鈥� Council recently said press freedom in the country is still under attack from certain quarters of society despite the interim government鈥檚 promises to uphold it.
